


































































/ 



Class V \ \ \ \ 

Book_X_1\3>_, 

fopightN 0 ._ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



















\ 

















Grammar in Action 


BY 

J. C. TRESSLER 

w 

Head of the Department of English 
Richmond Hill High School 
New York City 



D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY 

BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO 

ATLANTA SAN FRANCISCO DALLAS 

LONDON 






Copyright, 1928, 

By D. C. Heath and Company 

2 d 8 


APR 18 1928 

PRINTED IN U.S.A. 

©Cl A10 68980 


PREFACE 


When the pendulum swung away from the teaching of 
formal grammar, there was danger that it would pass far 
beyond a sensible motivated teaching of functional or applied 
grammar to a denunciation of all grammar except usage 
drills. Now the pendulum is oscillating about the middle 
point, a mastery of the simple fundamentals of functional 
grammar as a foundation on which to build all English work, 
and will doubtless come to rest here. 

Of course, the boy or girl who grows up in an atmosphere of 
correct and elegant English — if such a fortunate one is to 
be found — speaks and writes well without studying gram¬ 
mar. Usage drills help the less fortunate to eliminate flagrant 
errors, but do not give “the genuine familiarity with the 
elementary facts of English grammar, without which,” the 
department of English of the University of Wisconsin tells 
us, “under existing conditions it is futile to expect the vast 
majority of our pupils to acquire the ability to use English 
correctly either in speech or in writing.” 

Grammar in Action is built on a belief that the important 
aims in grammar teaching are to help pupils (1) to write 
and speak correct sentences, (2) to construct varied, effective 
sentences, (3) to punctuate correctly, and (4) to extract 
thought from the printed page. Because, as Randolph 
found, half the errors in speech and writing are faults in 
sentence structure other than the choice of forms, a pupil 
should learn the terminology for a discussion of sentence 
building and should be given practice in forming, criticizing, 
and improving sentences. 

With the exception of a brief systematic preliminary study 
of the parts of the sentence, analysis and diagraming, which 
is shorthand analysis or graphic representation of analysis, 
are taught when needed. Thus the work is motivated; the 
probability that the study of analysis will function in class 

iii 


IV 


PREFACE 


and outside of class, increased; and the habit of using analy¬ 
sis in correcting sentences, building varied, forceful, mature 
sentences, extracting thought from the printed page, and 
punctuating correctly, established. Chapter XIX, for ex¬ 
ample, gives the pupil practice in applying his knowledge of 
grammar to the improvement of sentences by placing some¬ 
thing besides adjectives before the subject, building complex 
sentences, using appositives, series, and participles, -and 
occasionally using an interrogative, an exclamatory, or an 
imperative sentence. 

The criteria for the selection of grammar material and the 
determination of how much emphasis should be placed on 
each point selected are the frequency of use and the fre¬ 
quency, persistency, and social seriousness of errors. There¬ 
fore the topics were selected, the eliminations were made, 
and the emphasis on items was determined by a study of 
the investigations of Lyman, Johnson, Charters and Miller, 
Earhart and Small, Sears and Diebel, Randolph, Richardson, 
and Stormzand and O’Shea {How Much English Grammar), 
and of my own investigation {The English Journal, November 
and December, 1917). 

The sentences in the corrective exercises are with few ex¬ 
ceptions actual pupil sentences. Most of the sentences for 
analysis and punctuation are typical high-school, college, 
newspaper, magazine, and book sentences; a few, literary 
gems; none, childish prattle. 

In the text there are no grammatical enigmas or lengthy, 
complicated sentences. Pupils learn nothing about using the 
language by puzzling over intricate sentences. 

In the first half of the book complex and compound sen¬ 
tences are rare. Pupils apply what they learn first in the 
correction and construction of simple sentences and then in 
building and improving compound and complex sentences. 

The explanations are addressed to the pupil, not to the 
teacher. My use in the classroom of much of the material in 
the text convinces me that teachers will not need to simplify, 
develop, clarify, or illustrate the explanations. 

With few exceptions the terminology of the Joint Com- 


PREFACE 


y 


mittee on Grammatical Nomenclature has been used. When 
the Joint Committee name is unnecessarily difficult, it has 
been placed in parenthesis after a simpler old established 
term. 

In matters of divided usage the text is liberal, not puristic 
or pedantic. Certainly there is no value in teaching untruths 
about the language. 

True to its name, Grammar in Action has a maximum of 
examples and practice in functional grammar, and a minimum 
of theory and rules. This practice includes the building of 
both sentences and compositions. 


J. C. T. 









CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Simple Sentence 

Sentence Sense. 1 

Simple Predicate . 2 

Simple Subject. 4 

Complete Subject. 5 

Complete Predicate. 7 

Compound Subject or Predicate .... 9 

II. Recognition of the Parts of Speech 

Nouns. 13 

Pronouns. 14 

Verbs. 15 

Adjectives and Adverbs. 15 

Prepositions. 20 

Conjunctions. 22 

Interjections . 25 

The Same Word as Different Parts of 
Speech. 25 

III. Parts of the Simple Sentence 

Predicate Adjective. 30 

Predicate Nominative. 31 

Object of a Verb. 32 

Indirect Object. 34 

Appositive. 36 

Nominative of Address. 38 

IV. Analysis and Diagraming of Simple Sen¬ 

tences 

Subject and Predicate. 40 

Adjective . 40 

Adverb. 41 

Prepositional Phrase . 42 

Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjec¬ 
tive . 44 

Object of a Verb. 46 

vii 



























CONTENTS 


viii 

CHAPTER PAGE 

Indirect Object. 47 

Appositive. 48 

Direct Address. 49 

Other Independent Elements. 49 

V. Punctuation of Simple Sentences 

Ends of Sentences. 51 

The Period after Abbreviations. 52 

Comma. 53 

Quotation Marks. 60 

VI. Nouns 

Capitalization of Proper Nouns. 63 

Formation of Plural. 66 

Gender. 70 

Case. 71 

Habits. 73 

VII. Forms and Uses of Pronouns 

Good Use. 76 

Literary English and Colloquial English . . 76 

Personal Pronouns. 77 

Agreement with Antecedent . 79 

Word Order. 83 

Compound Personal Pronouns . 83 

Interrogative Pronouns. 85 

Relative Pronouns. 86 

Demonstrative Pronouns. 86 

Indefinite Pronouns. 87 

VIII. Forms and Uses of Verbs 

Transitive and Intransitive. 90 

Active and Passive. 92 

Tense . 93 

Mood . 94 

Conjugation and Synopsis. 95 

Principal Parts of Verbs.100 

Sit, Set, Lie, Lay, Rise, Raise .103 

Shall, Will, Should, Would .106 

Verb Phrases.109 

Ain’t and Other Errors .110 

































CONTENTS 


ix 

CHAPTER PAGE 

Agreement of Verb and Subject .... Ill 

IX. Simple Sentences Containing Partici¬ 
ples, Infinitives, and Gerunds 

Conjugation Completed .121 

Participle.122 

Gerund.126 

Infinitive.128 

Punctuation.131 

Tense .133 

Dangling Phrases.134 

X. Correction of Simple Sentences 

Syntactical Redundance. 139 

Omission.140 

Misplaced Modifier.142 

Parallel Structure.144 

XI. Compound Sentences 

How to Recognize Compound Sentences . 147 

Analysis and Diagraming.148 

Punctuation.150 

XII. Complex Sentences Containing Adjective 
Clauses 

Relative Pronoun.154 

Meaning of Adjective Clause.155 

How to Recognize an Adjective Clause . 155 

Analysis or Diagraming.157 

Case of Pronouns.160 

Agreement of Verb with Subject .... 162 

Syntactical Redundance.163 

Arrangement.164 

Correct Pronouns.164 

Punctuation.166 

XIII. Adverb Clauses 

What an Adverb Clause Is.171 

How to Recognize an Adverb Clause . . 171 

Analysis or Diagraming.172 

Punctuation.175 

The Upside-down Sentence.177 



























x CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XIV. Complex Sentences Containing Noun 
Clauses 

How To Recognize a Noun Clause . . . 180 

Analysis or Diagraming.181 

Case..184 

Punctuation of Quotations.185 

Word Order in Indirect Quotation . . . 187 

Using Noun Clauses.187 

XV. Correct Verbs and Pronouns in Sentences 
Chiefly Complex 

Tense .190 

, Shall, Will, Should, Would .196 

Subjunctive Mood.197 

Agreement of Verb and Subject .... 198 

Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent 199 

XVI. Compound-complex and Complex-complex 
Sentences 

Compound-complex Sentences . . ... 205 

Complex-complex Sentences.206 

Punctuation.208 

Building Sentences.209 

Silent Reading .211 

XVII. Simple, Compound, and Complex Sen¬ 
tences 

Elliptical Sentences.213 

Syntactical Redundance.215 

Incorrect Omissions.216 

Parallel Structure.218 

Arrangement.220 

Punctuation.221 

Silent Reading .227 

XVIII. Sentence Sense 

Phrase, Subordinate Clause, and Sentence . 231 

Half-sentence and Comma Blunder ... 231 

XIX. Better Sentences 

Something beside Adjectives before the 
Subject.245 





















CONTENTS xi 

CHAPTER PAGE 

Complex Sentence.248 

Appositive .250 

Series.251 

Participle.253 

Interrogative, Imperative, and Exclamatory 

Sentences.. . 254 

XX. Forms and Uses of Adjectives and Ad¬ 
verbs 

Comparisons of Adjectives.257 

Comparisons of Adverbs.258 

Use of Comparative and Superlative . . 259 

Double Negative .260 

This, That, These, Those .261 

A, An, The .262 

Demonstrative Adjective and Personal Pro¬ 
noun .263 

Confusion of Adjective and Adverb . . . 263 

XXI. Use of Prepositions and Conjunctions 

Correct Preposition.267 

Overuse of Coordinate Conjunctions . . . 269 

Confusion of Prepositions and Conjunc¬ 
tions .270 

Correct Conjunctions .271 

Appendix — Less Important Case Uses . 277 

Index.279 
























































' 

































. 










































- 






















































GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


CHAPTER I 

THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 
Sentence Sense 

Which of these groups of words express complete 
thoughts? 

1. Father sat in the shade of the old apple tree. 

2. In time of trouble Fred was a true friend. 

3. Marconi invented the wireless in 1895. 

4. In the shade of the old apple tree. 

5. A true friend in time of trouble. 

6. The remarkable inventions of the last fifty years. 

Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are sentences, because they 
express complete thoughts. In each, the italicized 
word makes a statement about a person, place, or 
thing. In 4, 5, and 6 we do not know what the thoughts 
of the writer are. These word-groups do not express 
complete thoughts, do not make statements, do not 
say anything, are half-sentences. 

Practice 1 

Five of the following are sentences and five are 
half-sentences. Which are the sentences? In each 
sentence point out the word which makes a statement 
about a person, place, or thing. 

1. Prince Otto is now in exile. 

2. Otto, the son of the late emperor of Austria, at work on a 
problem in algebra. 

3. Margaret Barrington, a Girl Scout of Atlanta, Georgia, on / 
the back of her favorite cow. 


1 


2 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


4. The picture shows Margaret on the back of a cow. 

5. Cameo, one of~the cleverest trick dogs in Los Angeles, in 
charge of a class for the benefit of three less gifted friends. 

6. In Los Angelas dogs g6 to school. 

7. Sabatini writes stories about ships and the sea. 

8. Rafael Sabatini, author of Captain Blood and many other 
popular romances about ships and the sea. 

9. A wreath from Queen Marie was laid on the grave. 

10. A wreath in memory of the mother of Washington. 

Every sentence has two parts, a subject and a predi¬ 
cate. 

Simple Predicate 

In each sentence look at the word which makes the 
statement about a person, place, or thing, asks a 
question, or gives a command: 

1. The pup trotted from a local train with a dozen other passen¬ 
gers. 

Trotted makes a statement about the pup. 

2. Hulit prepares seals for circus acts. 

Prepares tells what Hulit does. 

3. A West Virginia girl of eighteen skated thirty-five miles to 
see her mother. 

Skated says something about a West Virginia girl. 

4. Well, figure this out for yourself. 

Figure tells you to do something. 

5. Where are my books? 

Are asks about books. 

These words which make the statements about the 
persons, places, or things, give commands, or ask 
questions are the simple predicates or predicate verbs 
of the sentences. 



THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 


3 


Practice 2 

In each sentence find the simple predicate: 

1. A prison has crowbars for window screens. 

2. Take my case as an example. 

3. All listened attentively to the eloquent argument. 

4. Fog is the great enemy of the air navigator. 

5. Into the ballroom of the fashionable hotel walked two little 
ragamuffins. 

6. For just one minute the stranger hesitated. 

7. At the southern end of the valley there is a salt lake with¬ 
out an outlet. 

8. At the age of eighty-eight John D. Rockefeller still enjoyed 
his favorite game, golf. 

9. Where is the magazine? 

10. Down came the rain in torrents. 

Auxiliaries 

What are the simple predicates in these sentences? 

1. He is reading The Making of an American. 

2. The best man will be elected. 

3. When was the north pole discovered? 

4. How long have you and your brothers been collecting stamps? 

Is reading, will be elected, was discovered, and have 

been collecting are the simple predicates. The verbs 
read, elect, discover, and collect have auxiliaries which 
help them to make the statements or ask the ques¬ 
tions. Sometimes, as in 3 and 4, there are words be¬ 
tween the parts of the verb. 

The auxiliaries are is (be, am, is, are, was, were, 
been), have, had, do, did, may, can, might, could, must, 
shall, will, should, and would. 

Practice 3 

Find the simple predicates in the following sen¬ 
tences : 

1. Frightful or excessive punishment does not prevent crime. 

2. What did the Indian teach the white man? 


4 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


3. Have you ever studied flag etiquette? 

4. You can almost hear the children’s shouts of laughter. 

5. Why are glass tops put on desks? 

6. China is coming out of her long sleep at last. 

7. Could a scout with nothing but a knife live in the mountains 
for about six months? 

8. New fire-fighting equipment will be installed during the next 
sixty days. 

9. When did you see him? 

10. Who will be elected secretary? 

11. Is the garden furniture brilliantly painted? 

12. Lindbergh could probably have made $2,000,000. 

Practice 4 

Find in a magazine or a book ten sentences in which 
the verb consists of two or more words. Copy the 
sentences, and underline the verb. 

Simple Subject 

In each sentence what word names the person, place, 
or thing spoken of? 

1. The people in the grandstand waved their flags. 

People answers the question, “ Who or what 
waved? ” and is the subject of the sentence. 

2. Hockey is played on skates. 

Hockey, the subject, answers the question, “ Who 
or what is played? ” 

3. In through the back door went a short, dumpy old lady. 

Lady, the subject, answers the question, “ Who 
or what went? ” 

4. Is the doll dressed like an American child? 

Doll, the subject, answers the question, “ Who or 
what is dressed? ” 

One can easily find the subject of a question by 
changing the question to a statement, “ The doll is 


THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 5 

dressed like an American child/’ before asking, “ Who 
or what is dressedf ” 

Frequently in commands and requests the subject is 
not expressed. 

1. Come early. 

2. Be in your seat before eight o’clock. 

You understood is the subject of both sentences. 

Practice 5 

Copy these sentences. In each sentence draw one 
line under the simple subject and two lines under the 
simple predicate. 

1. The Mississippi flood caused many deaths. 

2. The nest of the robin is made of mud and grass. 

3. In what New England state are there the greatest number 
of cows? 

4. Down the street marched the high-school drum corps. 

5. Among free men there can be no successful appeal from the 
ballot to the bullet. — Lincoln 

6. In what year was the Galveston flood? 

7. Never show the bottom of your purse or your mind. 

8. What kind of food did the Indians eat in winter and summer? 

9. A bad book is the worst of thieves. 

10. In summer the air is scented with the fragrance of wild 
flowers. 

11. In two valleys of the Great American Desert grows a strange 
gray-green tree. 

12. One of “Ned” Lawrence’s first adventures brought him to 
grief. 

13. In the limousine with the President rode Rebecca, the famed 
raccoon. 

14. The World War veterans objected to this misuse of the flag. 

15. The Indian armed himself with bow and arrow and toma¬ 
hawk. 

Complete Subject 

Compare 1 and 2, also 3 and 4. 

1. Room. 

2. The red auction room. 


6 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


3. Man. 

4. The smooth and sleek-faced man in the office. 

Room means any room in the world; man, any man. 
The words the red auction are called modifiers, be¬ 
cause they change the meaning from any room to a 
particular one. Likewise the, smooth, sleek-faced and 
in the office change the meaning of man, tell which 
man is thought of. 

The simple subject with its modifiers is called the 
complete subject. 

The complete subject in each sentence is italicized. 
What is the simple subject? What are the modifiers of 
the simple subject? 

1 . A clever, dear, good little child came in. 

The modifiers, a clever, dear, good little, change the 
meaning of child. 

2. An actor with a beard a foot long took the part of Stanton. 

The simple subject is actor; the modifiers, an and 
with a beard a foot long. 

3. Some weeks ago a plump little man entered the office of the 
United States consul at Melbourne. 

The words a plump little change the meaning of man. 
The words some weeks ago modify entered, because they 
tell when the man entered. They do not describe the 
man or tell which man is meant. 

4. In the consul’s office is a man of tact and intelligence. 

The simple subject is man; the modifiers, a and of 
tact and intelligence. The words in the consul’s office 
modify is, because they tell where the man is. 

Practice 6 

Find the simple predicate, the simple subject, and 
the complete subject in each sentence: 


THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 


7 


1. The crimson sun went down behind the hills. 

2. An addition to the high school is under construction. 

3. How many children of Theodore Roosevelt are living? 

4. What boy in a story by Dickens was punished for asking 
for more porridge? 

5. By night ten thousand beacon, fires flickered across the 
continent. 

6. A most glorious date in the history of the American Navy 
is September 23, 1779. 

7. A large percentage of the successful flyers of the future will 
come from the ranks of the Boy Scouts of America. 

8. And up from that treasure cave shot a strange and wonderful 
light. 

9. This first-aid kit will help you help the other fellow. 

10. Near Lake Placid are many beautiful white birches. 

11. Which of your friends have good manners at the table? 

12. Just behind the girl was a farmhouse of red brick. 


Complete Predicate 

The complete predicate includes the verb or simple 
predicate, its modifiers, and words used to complete 
its meaning. Commonly every word in the sentence 
belongs to either the complete subject or the complete 
predicate. 

1. The barking of dogs | saved one hundred people adrift in the 
East River. 

The vertical line separates the complete subject 
from the complete predicate. Saved is the predicate 
verb, because it makes the statement. Barking is the 
simple subject, because it answers the question, 
“ Who or what savedf ” The harking of dogs is the 
complete subject; saved one hundred people adrift in the 
East River, the complete predicate. 

2. From the boats went up shouts of joy. 

Went, the predicate verb, makes the statement. 
Shouts, the simple subject, answers the question, 


8 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


“ Who or what wentf ” Shouts of joy is the complete 
subject; went up from the boats, the complete predicate. 

When in a sentence like number 2 the complete 
predicate or part of it is before the subject, the order is 
inverted. The natural order of this sentence is, 
“ Shouts of joy went up from the boat. 57 In the 
natural order the complete subject comes before the 
complete predicate. 

When there is used to introduce an inverted sentence, 
it is called an expletive. 

There were thirty thousand people at the polo game. 

Thirty thousand people | were at the polo game. 

The inverted order is commonly used in questions. 

When shall we three meet again? 

(Natural order) We three shall meet again when? 

Notice that often the subject is wedged in be¬ 
tween the parts of the predicate. In these sentences 
the complete subject is italicized. The rest of each 
sentence is the complete predicate. 

1. When was Roosevelt elected president? 

2. After seven years of victory the tennis champion was defeated. 

3. How often have French tennis players won the championship 
of the United States? 

4. Have any of you heard this spring the song of a bobolink? 

5. Quickly and quietly the pupils in the room went back to their 
work. 

6. Behind the well a spreading elm grows. 

Practice 7 

In each sentence find the simple predicate, the 
simple subject, the complete subject, and the complete 
predicate. 

Model for Written Work 

At the end of the first half of the game the score was 7 to 6 in 
favor of the visiting team. 


THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 9 

The score | was 7 to 6 in favor of the visiting team at the end of 
the first half of the game. 

1. The minutemen were too quick for the British. 

2. Crime costs the American people ten billion dollars a year. 
(Because crime has no modifiers, it is both the simple subject and 
the complete subject.) 

3. After a time the Indian obtained the rifle and the hunting 
knife from the white man. 

4. At the age of seventy-seven Mrs. N. 0. Freeman is taking 
a course in English and American literature at Northwestern 
University. 

5. Sound the trumpet! 

6. Six times the airmen were flung back by a raging blizzard. 

7. At Silverton diphtheria antitoxin was dropped from an air¬ 
plane into a snowbank. 

8. For what is Ralph Henry Barbour famed? 

9. In big league baseball what position, besides second base, 
third base, and shortstop, is never filled by a left-handed thrower? 

10. For twelve months my friend Kakoot told all the other 
Eskimos about that trip in my canoe. 

11. The first big football game of the season will take place this 
week. 

12. Don’t dodge responsibility. 

13. The best single-volume life of Lincoln is by an Englishman, 
Lord Charnwood. 

14. From Tokio there landed at San Francisco the new French 
ambassador to the United States. 

15. On the morning of January 26, 1830, the Senate chamber in 
the United States Capitol was filled by an excited and expectant 
throng. 

Simple Sentence Having Compound Subject 
or Predicate 

How many subjects and predicates has each sen¬ 
tence? 

1. Ichabod Crane lived in Sleepy Hollow. (One subject and one 
predicate) 

2. His father and mother live in India. (Compound subject) 

3. Suddenly Jim heard a noise and hid behind a tree. (Two 
verbs; therefore compound predicate) 



10 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


A simple sentence has one subject and one predicate, 
either or both of which may be compound. 

Practice 8 

In these sentences either the subject or the predi¬ 
cate is compound, or both are compound. Draw a 
line between the complete subject and the complete 
predicate. Draw a line under every subject word and 
predicate verb. 

Model ^ 

All day long ^the men and boys huddled under the tent and 
shivered. 

The men and boys | all day long huddled under the tent and 
shivered. 

1. Washington and Lincoln are two great Americans. 

2. Margaret and I stayed at home and read. 

3. Oxford and Cambridge are the most famous English uni¬ 
versities. 

4. The ladies in ancient Crete thought a great deal about their 
clothes and had expert dressmakers. 

5. Paris and London are the two cities of A Tale of Two Cities. 

6. Elephants also roar and scream from rage. 

7. The men of the neighborhood took a day off, tore down the 
old barn, hauled the timbers to the new location, and set up the 
framework. 

8. Four times my own ships sank, or were crushed to kindling 
wood against the rocks. 

9. Randolph and I played tennis after school and studied after 
dinner. 

10. Just fill out and mail the coupon. 

11. Progress and achievement result only from the conquest of 
difficulties. 

12. Then we sat around the log fire and talked. 

13. The Indian squaw cooked, sewed, built the wigwam, and 
raised the scanty crop of corn, beans, melons, and squashes. 

14. Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn- 
yard. 

15. Los Angeles and Detroit have grown rapidly. 





THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 


11 



Photo by Ewing Galloway 

Practice 9 

Using this picture to suggest ideas, write eight en¬ 
tertaining simple sentences. Describe the bear. Where 
does he live? What does he want — the car, a ride, 
money, food? Or is he warning the motorist about 
reckless driving? How would you feel if you were in 
the car? What would you do? Describe the car. In 
the sentences draw one line under each complete predi¬ 
cate. Place a check mark (vO before the subject word 
and an asterisk (*) before the verb. 

Summary 

1. A sentence is a group of words expressing a 
complete thought. 

2. Every sentence has two parts, a subject and a 
predicate. 





12 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


3. The simple predicate or predicate verb makes a 
statement, asks a question, or gives a command. 

4. An auxiliary helps a verb to make a statement, 
ask a question, or give a command. 

5. The simple subject names the person, place, or 
thing spoken of. 

6. The complete subject is the simple subject with 
its modifiers. 

7. The complete predicate is the simple predicate 
with its modifiers and the words that complete its 
meaning. 

8. When the complete predicate or part of it is 
before the subject, the order is inverted. 

9. A simple sentence has one subject and one predi¬ 
cate, either or both of which may be compound. 


CHAPTER II 


RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 

Nouns 

A noun is a name. Nouns name: 

Persons — John, Washington, child, hoy 

Animals — horse, elephant, sheep 

Places — Baltimore, Venice 

Things — pencil, snow, iron 

Collections or groups of persons or things — committee, class, 
set, fleet, army, flock, school 

Qualities, conditions, actions, and ideas — kindness, wisdom, 
justice, depth, laughter, sickness, happiness, doubt 

Practice 1 

Add two names to each group of nouns given. 

Practice 2 

In each sentence make a list of the nouns: 

1. Miss Minetta rose and looked at him with fire in her eyes. 

2. Henry Ford, American manufacturer, was born on a farm 
near Dearborn, Michigan, nine miles west of Detroit. 

3. The next sound I heard was the scrabble of the animal’s 
four paws as he landed on the graveled pathway. 

4. By a slight turn of the wrist, Cavanagh would drop the ball 
within an inch of the line. 

5. Literature, legend, and history are rich in pigeon lore; and 
in all the records of warfare, there is nothing more stirring than the 
accomplishments of our own little feathered warriors in the great 
World War. 

6. Last March little Sarah was the bright and shining star of 
the national indoor tennis tournament for women and girls, held on 
the covered courts of the Longwood Club. 

13 


14 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


7. Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed, 
every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues 
and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all the 
good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers. 

Pronouns 

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. With¬ 
out pronouns our sentences would be clumsy and dis¬ 
agreeable to the ear. 

Without Pronouns 

1. Ralph and George said to Ralph and George’s father, “Would 
father like to have Ralph and George wait for fatherf ” 

With Pronouns 

2. ‘Ralph and George said to their father, “Would you like to 
have us wait for youf” 

The italicized pronouns in sentence 2 are used in 
place of the italicized nouns in sentence 1. 

Examine these sentences: 

1. Both of those which are finished are spoiled. 

2. Any one can do that. 

3. One or the other of you may find somebody who can show you 
how to make it. 

4. Either of these is better than none. 

The italicized words are not names; they are pro¬ 
nouns, words used in place of nouns. 

Practice 3 

List the pronouns in the following sentences: 

1. “ Well,” she said aloud, “Pd like mother to see you now.” 

2. This is one of the days when I eat lunch with him. 

3. I would have gone home with him if he had asked me. 

4. I had never before seen any of the places which we visited. 

5. These are some of the medals which he has won. 

6. Many of us wish you would explain what this means. 

7. Certain it is that he was honored by all who knew him. 


RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 15 


8. He took with him his gun, which he had cleaned, and his dog, 
who was eager for a hunt. 


Verbs 


A verb is a word that can make a statement. Can 
is an important word in the definition, because in 
questions and commands verbs do not make state¬ 
ments, and three forms of the verb to be studied later 
(the infinitive, the participle, and the gerund) do not 
make statements. 

Notice the verbs in these sentences: 

1. He had told us something about the Free City of Danzig. 

The main verb told has a helper had. 

2. First-aiders may he called into service at any time. 

The main verb called has two helpers. 

3. If his friends had worked harder for him, he would have been 
elected. 

Worked has one helper; elected has three helpers. 

The helping verb is an auxiliary. The main verb 
with its helper or helpers is a verb phrase. 


Practice 4 


Make a list of the verbs in exercises 2 and 3 of this 


chapter. 


Adjectives and Adverbs 


Adjectives 


The 

Six 

Many 

Slim 

Athletic 

Tiny 

Some 

Those 


boys played 


Adverbs 

brilliantly 

joyously 

lazily 

there 

yesterday 

seldom 

occasionally 

little 




16 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


The noun boys includes all the boys in the world. 
The adjectives tell which boys are meant. The verb 
played tells only in a general way what the boys did. 
The adverbs tell how, when, where, and how much they 
played. Both adjectives and adverbs modify (change 
the meaning of) other words. 

Adjectives 

An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a 
pronoun. 

Girls refers to girls of any kind or size. Brave little 
girls lessens the group; cowardly and large girls are 
excluded. Brave and little are adjectives, because they 
modify (change the meaning of) the noun girls. 

Practice 5 

Show that each italicized adjective changes the 
meaning of a noun by describing, pointing out, telling 
how many, or otherwise limiting its application: 

1. He bought these two blue suits and that wide-brimmed 'panama 
hat. 


Practice 6 

Find the adjectives and tell what each modifies: 

1. Some good old stories give much pleasure to many intelli¬ 
gent youths. 

2. When the dainty cloth was removed, the elderly butler 
brought in a huge silver vessel of rare and curious workmanship. 

3. His queer notions, deep wisdom, and sly humor were enjoyed 
by the old mountaineers, both red and white. 

4. For a hundred miles, long undulating plains stretched out like 
the level wheat lands of distant Russia. 

5. Slow-flowing, muddy rivers ran through the broad plains; 
villages were few and far apart, travel difficult. 

6. These pretty, bright red beetles attract much attention and 
may be found during the summer months on milkweed plants. 



RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 17 

7. When the lightning flashes grew less vivid and less frequent, 
these watchers were startled by a new glare. 

Practice 7 

Find in a newspaper or a magazine twenty adjec¬ 
tives. Copy the sentences. Underscore all adjectives. 


Mr. Micawber 
Practice 8 

In a sentence for each, describe an animal, a flower, 
a bird, a fruit, and a book. Use two good adjec¬ 
tives in each sentence. Underscore the adjectives. 

In three or more sentences describe Mr. Micawber. 
Underscore good adjectives. 






18 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 9 

Supply three or more good adjectives to fill each 
blank. Don’t use an adjective twice. 

The-boy (or girl) who lives in the-house on the- 

road has-eyes, a-nose, a —— face,-hair,-hands, 

a-voice, and a-walk, and wears a-hat, a-suit, 

and-shoes. 


Pronouns and Adjectives 

. Use determines the part of speech. Some words are 
used as both adjectives and pronouns. 

1. Either answer is correct. 

Either is an adjective, because it modifies answer. 

2. Either is correct. 

Either is used in place of a noun and is a pronoun. 

Practice 10 

Tell the part of speech of each italicized word and 
give the reason: 

1. Many were invited. 

2. Many girls were invited. 

3. Each boy did his share of the work. 

4. Each did his share of the work. 

5. I prefer this one. 

6. I prefer this. 

7. Our team scored one run. 

Adverbs 

,^-^Study the italicized adverbs: 

(A. He today scrawled a note. 

Today changes the verb scrawled by telling when. 

2. He went peacefully. 

Peacefully tells how he went. 


RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 19 

3. Where did you find the crocus? 

Where modifies the verb did find . 

4. His work was entirely successful. 

Entirely tells how successful his work was. En¬ 
tirely modifies the adjective successful. 

5. Some people acted very strangely. 

Strangely tells how they acted; very tells how 
strangely the people acted. Strangely modifies the 
verb acted; very modifies the adverb strangely. 

An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an ad¬ 
jective, or an adverb. Occasionally an adverb modi¬ 
fies a preposition or a conjunction. Adverbs not only 
answer the questions, “ When? ” “ Where? ” “ How? ” 
and “ How much? ” but also help to ask questions: 

Where are you going? 

How far is it? 

When will you arrive? 

Practice 11 

Find the adverbs and tell what each modifies: 

1. The archers quickly stepped forward and shot their arrows 
bravely and accurately. 

2. He returned almost instantly with a perfectly straight stick. 

3. Over one thousand lepers have been completely cured there 
and sent back to their homes. 

4. No longer do they stare vacantly into an empty future. 

5. Never before had I driven so slowly. 

Practice 12 

Find twelve adverbs in a newspaper, a magazine, or 
a book. Copy the sentences. Underscore all adverbs. 

Practice 13 

Complete with adverbs: 

1. They turned the corner-that they-ran into 

a car. 


20 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. If after examining the book-you decide to keep it, send 

us the-low price named in the coupon. 

3. You will-be-welcomed. 

4. Hundreds-followed and went-to work to make homes 

in the new land. 

5. The President spoke - and was - applauded by the 

vast audience. 

Practice 14 

List separately the adjectives and adverbs in these 
sentences, and place after each the word it modifies: 

1. Observers noted a brown and muscular forearm, an attractive 
figure, and two long braided pigtails fastened with white silk ribbon. 

2. Almost daily an extremely quiet maiden quickly inspected 
the work of the young clerks. 

3. After a brief silence an old man spoke slowly in a piping voice. 

4. Poor Rip now hurried forth to his old resort, the village inn; 
but it too was gone. 

5. A withered farmer in a rickety open wagon was slowly ap¬ 
proaching the railroad track. 

Prepositions 

What are the italicized words? 

The rabbit ran up the hill. 

Because up the hill tells where the rabbit ran, it is an 
adverb modifier. Hill is a noun; up, a joining word. 
A modifier made up of a noun or pronoun and a joining 
word is a prepositional phrase. The joining word is 
the preposition; and the noun or pronoun, the object 
of the preposition. 

Of what use are the italicized prepositions? 

1. The rabbit ran up the hill. 

2. The rabbit ran down the hill. 

3. The rabbit ran across the hill. 

4. The rabbit ran along the hill. 

The words, “ The rabbit ran the hill,” do not make 
sense, because no relation is shown between the noun 
hill and the verb ran. The joining word up shows the 



RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 21 


relation of hill to ran. The prepositions down, across, 
and along express different relationships. What does 
each phrase modify? What are the parts of the 
phrase? 

The house on the hill has stood for fifty years. 

Because on the hill tells which house, the preposi¬ 
tional phrase is a modifier of the noun house. The 
preposition on joins its object hill to house. 

For fifty years is an adverb prepositional phrase modi¬ 
fying has stood. The preposition for joins its object 
years to has stood. The adjective fifty modifies years. 

Practice 15 
Model for Written Work 

1. Action by the Senate is expected in a few days. 

2. The son of the late mikado of Japan left for Washington on 


the eleven o’clock train. 




Prepositional 



Object of 

Phrase 

Modifies 

Preposition 

Preposition 

by the Senate' 

action 

by 

Senate 

in a few days 

is expected 

in 

days 

of the late mikado 

son 

of 

mikado 

of Japan 

mikado 

of 

Japan 

for Washington 

left 

for 

Washington 

on the eleven o’clock train 

left 

on 

train 


In the form shown, select the prepositional phrases, 
tell what each modifies, what the preposition is, and 
what the object of the preposition is: 

1. In the garden that ran down to the river, they had a summer¬ 
house. 

2. From the man in the street to the largest corporation director, 
every American citizen is hoping for tax reduction. 

3. The general theory of production in the Ford plants is that 
the work must go to the man. 

4. Outside the ring of light from our fire the woods are black. 

5. By and by we get positions in the shanty for the night and 
arrange the row of sleepers. 


22 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


6. Despite the heat August in Rome is usually the month of 
the biggest tourist business from the point of view of numbers, and 
this year is no exception to the rule. 

7. After the accident two passengers plodded up the hill by the 
side of the driver. 


Prepositions and Adverbs 

What is down in sentence 1? In sentence 2? 

1. The boy fell down. 

2. The boy fell down the stairs. 

A preposition always has an object. In sentence 1 
down has no object; it is an adverb modifying the 
verb fell. In sentence 2 the preposition down joins its 
object stairs to the verb fell. 

Practice 16 

Tell the part of speech of each italicized word and 
give a reason. 

1. Keep off. 

2. Keep off the grass. 

3. He was in the house. 

4. Walk right in. 

5. Get up. 

6. Climb up the ladder. 

7. He is looking around. 

8. He is walking around the house. 

Practice 17 

Using the picture to suggest ideas, write eight sen¬ 
tences with one or more prepositional phrases in each. 
Draw one line under prepositions and two lines under 
the objects of prepositions. 

Conjunctions 

What do the italicized words do in the sentences? 

1. He planted lilies and peonies. 

And connects the nouns lilies and peonies. 


RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 23 



Courtesy of the Canadian Pacific Railway 
Mount Assiniboine 



24 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. He planted and cultivated peonies. 

And connects the verbs planted and cultivated. 

3. He planted roses but did not cultivate them. 

But connects the predicates planted roses and did 
not cultivate them. 

4. Because he did not fertilize the roses, there were no large 
flowers. 

Because connects he did not fertilize the roses with 
there were no large flowers. 

In these sentences and, but, and because are con¬ 
junctions. A conjunction connects words or groups of 
words. Conjunctions, unlike prepositions, do not 
have objects. 

Conjunctions in common use are and, but, or, nor, 
for, where, when, while, until, till, that, whether, as, if, 
as if, because, since, although, though, as though, lest, 
unless, and than. 

Conjunctions used in pairs are called correlatives: 
both Kitty and her mother; either fruit or vegetables; 
neither aged nor feeble; not only ignorant but also lazy. 

Practice 18 

Point out the conjunctions: 

1. When the game ended, both the losing team and the crowd 
cheered the winners. 

2. As I was only ten years old, it is needless to say that at that 
time I was no sportsman. 

3. The owls are awake, but the guides make more noise than the 
owls. 

4. They didn’t deny that it was a bear, although they said it 
was small for a bear. 

5. Carl Sandburg says that Lincoln was fast, strong, and keen 
when he went against other boys in sports. 

6. Although both Helen and Sarah played at times more bril¬ 
liantly than their opponents, they were defeated. 


RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 25 


Interjections 

What are the italicized words? 

1. Oh , how sorry I am! 

2. Hurrah! we have a holiday. 

The interjections oh and hurrah are not connected 
grammatically with the rest of the sentence. They 
are words “ thrown in ” to express strong or sudden 
feeling. 

The Same Word as Different Parts of 
Speech 

To find the part of speech of a word, always ask 
yourself the question, “ What does the word do in the 
sentence? ” 

1. All were present. 

All is a pronoun, because it is used in place of a 
noun. 

2. All the boys were present. 

All modifies the noun boys and is an adjective. 

3. Her cheeks are all pale. 

All is an adverb modifying the adjective pale. 

1. That book is mine. 

That is an adjective modifying the noun book. 

2. That is my book. 

That is a pronoun used in place of a noun. 

3. Jack says that he has read forty books. 

That is a conjunction introducing he has read forty 
books and connecting this group of words with says. 

4. I shall not go that far. 

That is an adverb modifying far. 


26 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 19 

Using the example just given as a model, show that 
in each sentence the italicized word is the part of 
speech indicated: 


(Preposition) 

After dinner I read Scott. 

(Adverb) 

Jill came tumbling after. 

(Adjective) 

In after years I shall read Milton. 

(Conjunction) After vacation is ended, I shall study Shakespeare. 

(Pronoun) 

Both are good books. 

(Adjective) 

Both books are worth reading. 

(Conjunction) Both Stevenson and Hawthorne wrote entertain- 


ing stories. 

(Verb) 

I like his brother. 

(Noun) 

I never saw his like. 

(Preposition) 

He looks like his father. 

(Adverb) 

I read only five books last term. 

(Adjective) 

My only hope proved vain. 

(Noun) 

He had enough to eat. 

(Adjective) 

He had food enough to eat. 

(Adverb) 

He was hungry enough to have a wonderful appe¬ 


tite. 

(Pronoun) 

What are you reading? 

(Adjective) 

What magazine are you reading? 

(Adverb) 

What an entertaining story you have written! 

(Interjection) 

What! dinner not ready yet! 


Practice 20 

Name the part of speech of each italicized word and 
show that the word is what you call it: 


1. I had never seen him before. 

2. Before dinner I read about Hamlin Garland’s boyhood. 

3. Fruit should not be picked before it is ripe. 

4. Give it to either of the boys. 

5. The book belongs to either Ralph or Harry. 

6. You may return it to either boy. 

7. We listened to the Capitol orchestra for a while. 

8. How shall we while away the time? 

9. We visited Washington’s home at Mount Vernon while we 
were in Washington. 


RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 27 


10. By studying and working one can better his position. 

11. Wilbur plays a better game of golf than his brother. 

12. Which of the two applicants is better qualified for the posi¬ 
tion? 

13. Right is more powerful than armies. 

14. Did he right the wrong? 

15. That is the right answer. 

16. He spoke right out. 


Practice 21 

Using each word as the different parts of speech 
named after it, write sentences. Use the preceding 
examples as models. 

1. wish — noun, verb. 

2. drop — noun, verb. 

3. stone — noun, verb, adjective. 

4. drink — noun, verb. 

5. well — noun, adjective, adverb. 

6. paper — noun, adjective, verb. 

7. fast — adjective, adverb, verb. 

8. slow — adjective, adverb, verb. 

9. behind — adverb, preposition. 

10. on — adverb, preposition. 

11. near — adverb, preposition, adjective, verb. 

12. since — preposition, conjunction, adverb. 


Practice 22 


Copy the following sentences, omitting a line after 
each line you write. Then using these abbreviations 


n. — noun 
pro. — pronoun 
adj. — adjective 
adv. — adverb 


v. — verb 

prep. — preposition 
conj. — conjunction 
int. — interjection 


tell what part of speech each word is. Write the 
abbreviation above the word. 


Model 

adj. n. v. v. adv. prep. adj. adj. n. prep. pro. 
The ship was speeding swiftly toward the rough ice below us. 


28 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


1. How do these birds find their way over immense spaces of 
land and sea? 

2. Blue skies and a bright sun drove large crowds to many of the 
resorts today. 

3. But the afternoon’s real excitement came in the fifth inning, 
when Babe Ruth drove two runs in with a smashing single that 
came at a moment when the bases were full of Yanks. 

4. The story of this great overhead, skyline trail along which, 
through calm or storm, in darkness or in light, airmen relay the 
public mails across the continent is a real romance. 

5. From the dock, past crowds which cried “Hip! Hip! Hooray!” 
the party ascended a steep hill to the magnificent hotel. 

6. When Harry Lauder was eleven years old, he combed flax 
twelve hours a day for fifty cents a week. 

7. Often in the winter when I cannot row, I buy a couple of 
cords of good hard wood and get my daily exercise over the saw- 
buck. (Divide cannot into its two parts.) 

8. Elephants have a language, or a series of calls, by which they 
can communicate ideas. 

9. Kipling’s father was director of the Lahore Museum, where 
the boy learned many strange and curious things. 

10. That a person could spend nearly eighty years on the water 
and experience only one wreck seems impossible, but that is Cap¬ 
tain Rockwell’s record. 


Summary 

1. A noun is a name. 

2. A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. 

3. A verb is a word that can make a statement. 

A verb phrase is a main verb with its helper or 
helpers. 

4. An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a 
pronoun. 

5. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an ad¬ 
jective, or an adverb. 

Adverbs commonly answer the questions, “ When? ” 

Where? ” “ How? ” and “ How much? ” 

6. A preposition is a word that shows the relation 
of the noun or pronoun following it to some other word. 


RECOGNITION OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH 29 


The noun or pronoun following a preposition is its 
object. 

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, its 
object, and sometimes modifiers. 

7. A conjunction connects words or groups of words. 

8. An interjection is a word that expresses strong or 
sudden feeling. 

9. A modifier changes the meaning of the word 
modified. 

10. To find the part of speech of a word always ask 
yourself the question, “ What does this word do in the 
sentence? ” 


CHAPTER III 


PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 

Predicate Adjective 

What does each italicized word do in the sentence? 

1. The grounds were beautiful. 

Grounds were is incomplete. The adjective beau¬ 
tiful completes the meaning of the verb were and 
describes the subject grounds. 

2. The surface of Alaska is mostly mountainous. 

Mountainous completes is and describes surface. 

3. American commerce was made safe in that part of the world. 

Safe completes was made and modifies commerce. 

4. Newspapers are now plentiful and cheap. 

Plentiful and cheap complete are and describe news¬ 
papers. 

An adjective which completes the predicate and 
modifies the subject is called a predicate adjective. 

Commonly used verbs that take predicate adjec¬ 
tives are be ( am, is, are, was, were, has been, had 
been), become, grow, seem, appear, taste, smell, sound, 
look, feel. 

Pkactice 1 

Find the predicate adjectives in these sentences. 
Tell what each predicate adjective does in the sen¬ 
tence. 

1. Ben looked busy now. 

2. I was proud of that. 

3. Isn’t he interesting? 


30 


PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 


31 


4. Giraffes are shyest of all animals. 

5. The lake was bleak and gray, covered with chilly-looking 
whitecaps. 

6. A first-class mind is never cocksure. 

7. The great majority of our higher schools are open to women. 

8. About four hundred miles of beautiful hard-surfaced roads 
are available. 

9. Mr. Sanborn was made very comfortable at Old Man 
Hooper’s place. 

10. At seven o’clock every boy in camp was ready for breakfast. 

Predicate Nominative 

What does each italicized word do in the sentence? 

1. Washington was our first president. 

President completes was and describes Washington. 

2. It is he. 

He completes is and explains it. 

3. Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America. 

Peak completes is and explains Mount McKinley. 

4. Jensen became captain of the football team and pitcher of the 
baseball team. 

Captain and pitcher complete became and describe 
Jensen. 

President , peak , captain , pitcher , and he are four 
nouns and a pronoun used to complete the predicate 
and describe or explain the subject. Each means the 
same as the subject and tells what the subject is, was, 
or became. A noun or pronoun that completes the 
predicate and explains or describes the subject is 
called a predicate nominative. 

Practice 2 

Find the predicate nominatives in these sentences, 
and tell what each predicate nominative does in the 
sentence: 


32 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


1. Camp cooking is a man’s job, anyway. 

2. All great inventions were pipe dreams at first. 

3. Tennis and swimming are favorite pastimes. 

4. The five Great Lakes are the largest inland fresh-water 
bodies in the world. 

5. Her favorite hobbies are gardening, swimming, mountain 
climbing, and drawing. 

6. The Big Parade was acclaimed an outstanding picture of 
its season. 

7. The average number of brooms made per year during the 
last five years is fifty million. 

8. The traits of character developed by rugby football are 
obedience, enthusiasm, courage, and honesty. 

9. Who is the president of Mexico? 

10. All of the swans in England are the property of the king. 

11. The most important crop of the states on the Pacific Coast 
is fruit. 

12. Washington and Richmond became two main points of at¬ 
tack and defense during the war. 

13. Porto Bello Gold is the title of an entertaining story. 

14. Canning is an important industry in Alaska. 

Practice 3 

Making use of a predicate adjective or a predicate 
nominative in each sentence, write six sentences about 
games that you have played or seen played. Under¬ 
score the predicate adjectives and the predicate nomi¬ 
natives. 


Object of a Verb 

What does each italicized word do in the sentence? 

1. Mr. Hibble shot a deer. 

Deer answers the question, “ Shot what? ” 

2. I believe you. 

You answers the question, “ Believe whom? ” 

3. To the South the victory of Bull Run brought joy. 

Joy answers the question, “ Brought what? ” 


PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 33 

4. One hundred years ago the college student studied mainly 
mathematics and languages. 

Mathematics and languages answer the question 
“ Studied what? ” 

The nouns deer, joy, mathematics, and languages and 
the pronoun you complete the verbs by telling what or 
whom, or, in other words, by naming the receivers or 
products of the action. They are the objects of the 
verbs. 

What is the difference between the predicate nomi¬ 
native in sentence 1 and the object in 2? 

1. Mr. Hibble is a farmer. 

Mr. Hibhle and farmer are the same person. The 
subject and predicate nominative always name the 
same person or thing. 

2. Mr. Hibble shot a deer. 

Deer is different from Mr. Hibble. The object of a 
verb never refers to the same person or thing as the 
subject. 

Practice 4 

Find the objects of the verbs in these sentences: 

1. In 1801 Jefferson sent a fleet to the Mediterranean. 

2. Every day in our school we salute the flag. 

3. A man should love the tools of his craft. 

4. They usually water their plants before breakfast. 

5. How many of you have read Typee by Herman Melville? 

6. No human being has ever visited the deepest part of the 
ocean. 

7. Fine roads add pleasure to fine scenery. 

8. The finals of the city tournament tomorrow will bring 
together two of the best young golfers in central New York. 

9. Every magazine or newspaper of any consequence has its 
distinct field. 

10. Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat brought instant 
fame. 


34 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


11. A book of travel does not lose anything by being full of ex¬ 
cellent fun. 

12. He frowned, scratched his head, then gave up with a laugh. 

Pkactice 5 

Making use of the object of a verb in each sentence, 
write six simple sentences suggested by the picture of 
a tennis match. 

Indirect Object 

What does each italicized word do in the sentence? 

1. My father gave me a boat. 

Me answers the question, “ Gave to whom? ” 

2. That experience taught my brother a lesson. 

Brother answers the question, “ Taught to whom? ” 

3. European countries had paid them tribute. 

Them answers the question, “ Had paid to whom? ” 

Boat, lesson, and tribute are the objects of the verbs, 
for they answer the questions, “ Gave what? ” 
“ Taught what? ” and “ Had paid what? ” and do not 
name the same person or thing as the subject. Me, 
brother, and them stand between the verb and the 
object and name the persons to whom something is 
done. The indirect object of a verb tells to or for 
whom something is done. 

What is an easy way to find the indirect object? 

1. The teacher told us a story. 

2. The teacher told (to) us a story. 

As a rule, placing to before the indirect object does 
not change the sense. 

1. Father bought me a hat. 

2. Father bought (for) me a hat. 

After a few verbs, placing for before the indirect 
object does not change the sense. 


PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 


35 

















36 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 6 

Find the objects of the verbs and the indirect ob¬ 
jects: 

1. I taught my dog a new trick. 

2. A man’s hat in his hand never did him any harm. 

3. He told me an interesting story. 

4. He gave me the wrong information. 

5. Rodney paid his brother five hundred dollars for the car. 

6. Father gave Robert and me a sheep and a lamb. 

Practice 7 

Find the predicate adjectives, predicate nomina¬ 
tives, objects of verbs, and indirect objects: 

1. In its lowest reaches the River of Doubt is a wide, peaceful 
stream. 

2. The milk from the tree was white and had a pleasant taste. 

3. At last we saw a deserted shack standing on the west bank 
of the river. 

4. Hyde Park is lively on a clear Sunday afternoon. 

5. Walt Whitman taught the school during the winter of 1837- 
1838. 

6. These honors are the reward of clean living and sincere 
devotion to the Scout law. 

7. I had a most wonderful and enjoyable trip through Yellow¬ 
stone National Park. 

8. Arnold taught me spelling and punctuation. 

9. The careless camper is responsible for many forest fires. 

10. The home itself was one of culture. 

Appositive 

What does each italicized word do in the sentence? 

1. Have you seen my brother Georgef 

George explains brother. The two nouns name the 
same person. 

2. In 1807 Fulton’s steamboat, the Clermont , made its first trip 
from New York to Albany. 


PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 37 

Clermont explains steamboat. The two nouns are 
names of the same thing. 

3. We spent a day in Sacramento, the capital of California. 

Capital explains Sacramento. The two nouns are 
names of the same thing. 

A noun added to another noun to explain it and 
naming the same person or thing is an appositive. 
George is in apposition with brother; Clermont, with 
steamboat; and capital, with Sacramento. 

Practice 8 

Find the appositives, and tell what word each is in 
apposition with: 

1. Danny, the boy detective, had a hard job. 

2. Tribute to Robert Burns, the Scotch poet, was paid yester¬ 
day afternoon on the anniversary of his death. 

3. I have rowed on many streams, little rivers and great ones. 

4. Spruce, a tall, straight tree comparatively free from knots, 
is ideal airplane wood. 

5. Hugh Gibson, the young ambassador, displayed great skill 
at the Geneva Conference. 

6. The trees were planted by John Rehmer, a landscape 
architect of Newark. 

7. Keokuk Dam, the largest river water-power project in 
America, is an engineering masterpiece. 

8. Heidi, that delightful description of child life in the Swiss 
Alps, is one of the most popular books for children ever written. 

9. This expanse of green, a breathing space amid the masses of 
great buildings, would alter the appearance of lower Manhattan. 

10. In Italy we visited two of the most delightful cities in the 
world, Venice and Florence. 

11. Booth Tarkington, the author of Seventeen, understands 
boys and girls. 


Practice 9 

Making use of an appositive in each sentence, write 
on topics of your own choice eight sentences. Under¬ 
score the appositives. 


38 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Nominative of Address 

How are the italicized words used? 

1. John, come here. 

2. Jane, have you written to your grandmother? 

John and Jane, the names of the persons spoken to, 
are nominatives of address. The subject of have 
written is you; of come, you understood. A nomina¬ 
tive of address is never the subject of the sentence. 

Practice 10 

Find the nominatives of address and the subjects 
of the sentences: 

1. Open the door, mother. 

2. Hush, foolish child! 

3. Ralph, that is my cap. 

4. Light the fire, Paul. 

5. Where have you been this afternoon, Helen? 

Pkactice 11 

Find the simple subjects, verbs, predicate adjectives, 
predicate nominatives, objects of verbs, objects of 
prepositions, indirect objects, appositives, and nomi¬ 
natives of address: 

1. His son, a fine, tall young man, was repairing the largest and 
oldest barn. 

2. In winter the bright landscapes have the charm of rare old 
colored prints. 

3. Floyd, bring me the morning paper. 

4. Scott’s dress was simple and almost rustic. 

5. We saw the Leviathan, the largest American steamship. 

6. Edward, you have won the first prize. 

7. The red fox’s new home on the ridge was a deep, well-drained 
pocket of dry earth. 

8. Young man, scorn the very thought of disloyalty to your 
employer. 

9. The war taught men loyalty to a leader. 


PARTS OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE 39 

10. Some of the ponies off the Virginia coast have never seen 
the face of man and are very wild. 

11. The little North Carolina ponies are usually dark brown and 
have long, shaggy coats in the winter. 

12. These ponies are easily tamed, learn tricks quite readily, and 
are playful and mischievous. 

13. The old gentleman is wide-awake, kind, and good. 

14. The setting of Lion Skin is London and its suburbs. 

15. One after another they settled themselves on their sleds and 
then flew down the long ice-covered hill. 

Summary 

1. A predicate adjective completes the predicate 
and modifies the subject. 

2. A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that 
completes the predicate and explains or describes the 
subject. 

3. An object of a verb is a noun or pronoun that 
completes the predicate and names the receiver or 
product of the action. To find the direct object in the 
sentence, “ Tell me a story/ 7 ask yourself the question, 
“ Tell what? 77 

4. An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that tells 
to or for whom something is done. To find the in¬ 
direct object in the sentence, “ Tell me a story, 77 ask 
the question, “ Tell to whom? 77 

5. An appositive is added to a noun or pronoun to 
explain it and denotes the same person or thing. 

6. The nominative of address is the name of the 
person spoken to. 


CHAPTER IV 


ANALYSIS AND DIAGRAMING OF 
SIMPLE SENTENCES 

Analysis is separating a sentence into its parts and 
showing the relationship of the parts to one another. 

Because to diagram a sentence takes much less time 
than to analyze it, diagraming is called shorthand 
analysis. A diagram, like a picture, a graph, a map, 
or the plans of a house, saves words and time and 
makes clear. One looking at the diagram can see at 
a glance what the parts of the sentence are and how 
they are related. 

Subject and Predicate 

Notice how the subject and verb are diagramed. 

1. Birds fly. 

2. Frogs croak. 

Birds | fly Frogs | croak 


Adjective 

1. The dark, piercing, fiery eyes snapped. 

Analysis 

This is a simple sentence. The complete subject is 
the dark, piercing, fiery eyes; the predicate is the verb 
snapped. The noun eyes is the simple subject. Eyes 
is modified by the adjectives the, dark, piercing and 
fiery. 


40 




ANALYSIS AND DIAGRAMING 


41 


Diagram 
eyes | snapped 

The 

dark 

piercing 

fiery 


The modifiers are placed under the 
word they modify and are connected 
with it. 


2. The bravest and kindest boy was elected, 
boy | was elected 


bravest 

and 

kindest 


Practice 1 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. A handsome, slim, straight young man appeared. 

2. An intelligent, playful pup was found. 

3. The big orange pillow was torn. 

4. The tiny, sparkling wrist watch was lost. 

5. The famous old chinaware was broken. 

6. The wisest and wittiest girl was selected. 

7. The beautiful old table was sold. 

8. Dark, threatening clouds appeared. 

Adverb 

1. He always speaks very interestingly. 

2. A check should be written clearly and carefully. 

In sentence 1 the adverbs always and 
interestingly modify the verb speaks, 
and the adverb very modifies the adverb 
interestingly. Notice how the modifier 
of an adjective or of an adverb is at¬ 
tached to it. 


He | speaks 


always 
interestingly 
I very 


The 


Notice that a conjunction connecting 
two words is placed on a dotted line 
between them. 


















42 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


check | should be written 


1 1 

1a 

clearly 


and 

carefully 


In sentence 2 the adverbs clearly 
and carefully modify the verb should 
he written and are connected by the 
conjunction and. 


Practice 2 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. The noon meal is generally eaten quickly. 

2. The very delightful program was heartily applauded. 

3. How well he talks! 

4. An extremely long new golf course is now well started. 

5. This very difficult work is always done carefully and thor¬ 
oughly. 

6. This new biography is entertainingly written. 

7. How long has the exceedingly hot weather lasted? 

8. Was the long letter accurately and neatly copied? 

Prepositional Phrase 

1. The brilliancy of the moon arises from the light of the sun. 

Analysis 

This is a simple sentence. The complete subject is 
the brilliancy of the moon; the complete predicate is 
arises from the light of the sun. The noun brilliancy 
is the simple subject. Brilliancy is modified by the 
adjective the and the adjective phrase of the moon, in 
which of is the preposition; moon, the object; and the, 
an adjective modifying moon. The verb arises is the 
simple predicate. Arises is modified by the adverb 
phrase from the light. This phrase consists of the 
preposition from; its object, the noun light; and the 
adjective the, modifying light. Light is modified also 
by the adjective phrase of the sun, in which of is the 
preposition; sun, the object; and the, an adjective 
modifying sun. 






ANALYSIS AND DIAGRAMING 


43 


brilliancy 



1 

The 

of | moon 


the 


Diagram 


arises 


from | light 
the 

of | sun 
| the 


A vertical line is 
placed before the ob¬ 
ject of a verb or of a 
preposition. 


were in Paris. 


Notice the arrangement of 
July and August , the compound 
object of the preposition during. 


in | Paris 


Practice 3 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. Soup should always be eaten from the side of the spoon. 

2. In Philadelphia, Mark Twain worked on the Ledger. 

3. In a remote part of Princeton stands a little sealing-wax 
factory. 

4. Upon a shallow bar in the middle of the river a man is 
walking about. 

5. The early years of my life were spent with my uncles in the 
Newfoundland sealing fleet. 

6. This school was founded within twenty years of the Revolu¬ 
tionary War. 

7. One of the largest paper mills in the eastern part of the 
country is situated in the town of Milford. 

8. With a group of three airplanes he flew to Point Barrow. 

9. Down from the mountains swept the icy blasts. 

10. What can compare with the power of these stories! 

11. The amount of a check should be written in figures and words. 

12. This room is furnished with a table, a chair, and a type¬ 
writer. 


2. During July and August we 
we | were 


During 

July 

and 


August 





















44 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


13. I don’t care for that kind of books. 

14. The harbors of the nation are under the care of the War 
Department. 

15. From soup to nuts the dinner moves with the smooth pre¬ 
cision of a machine. 

16. Across the street stood a tall, gray building. 


Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjective 

As a backbone, to which modifiers are attached, 
every sentence has a subject word and a verb. A sen¬ 
tence may have also as part of this backbone a predi¬ 
cate adjective, a predicate nominative, or the object of 
a verb. 

1. The name of the hero of the book is Robert. 

2. He is somewhat better today. 

3. Don’t be a Goop. 

4. The speeches and the reports were long and very dull. 

5. Vesuvius and Etna are popularly called mountains but are 
merely heaps of erupted material. 


name | is \ Robert 

r 

The 

of | hero 
the 

of | book 
| the 


He | is \ better 


today 


somewhat 


x | Do be \ Goop 


n’t 


The predicate adjectives 
better, long, and dull and the 
predicate nominatives Robert, 
Goop, mountains, and heaps com¬ 
plete the predicates and describe 
or explain the subjects. Hence 
the dividing lines separating 
these adjectives and nouns from 
the verbs slant toward the sub¬ 
jects. The x in sentence 3 
shows that the subject {you) is 
understood. Sentence 4 has a 
compound subject and a com¬ 
pound predicate adjective. Sen¬ 
tence 5 has a compound subject 
and a compound predicate. No¬ 
tice the arrangement of the com¬ 
pound parts. 


















ANALYSIS AND DIAGRAMING 


45 


speeches 


long 

| The 
and 

were \ 

and 

reports 

1 

dull 

| the 


I very 

Vesuvius 

are called \ mountains 


and 

1 

but 

Etna 

l 

are \ heaps 


| merely | of | material 


| erupted 


Practice 4 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. Banks are an absolute necessity to business men. 

2. The merchant is a real producer. 

3. The central mass of the Rocky Mountains is granite. 

4. The Appalachian Mountains are large and complex folds in 
the surface of the earth. 

5. What is the capital of New Mexico? 

6. Be prompt at your meals. 

7. After the death of his father life became a more serious 
affair. 

8. Their football team was considered the best in England 
but was beaten twice during the season. 

9. Our nearest and smallest neighbor is the moon. 

10. The moon is one of the smallest objects in the heavens. 

11. Was ever a hero so simple and unaffected? 

12. I am rather tired today and shall go^ to bed early. 

13. Scout camps must be clean and comfortable. 

14. The mosquito in camp is a fearful menace to health and 
comfort. 

15. How long is the haul to your best market? 

16. The most serviceable of all assets is reputation. 

























46 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Object of Verb 

1. May I borrow your ink? 

2. What kind of test shall we have tomorrow? 

3. The moon causes the daily ebb and flow of the tides. 

11 May borrow | ink 


your 


we | shall have | kind 


1 

tomorrow 

What 

moon | causes | 

of | test 

ebb 

and 

l 

The 


flow 


the 

daily 

of | tides 


1 the 


In sentence 3 the , daily, and 
of the tides modify both ebb and 
flow, not flow alone. Notice 
where these modifiers are at¬ 
tached to the backbone of the 
sentence. 


Practice 5 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. Jim saw the flag. 

2. Will you take this note to the office? 

3. I never did like that kind of apples. 

4. The climate affected their health and spirits. 

5. Which of your friends have read Hawthorne’s stories? 

6. What pleases you most in his manners? 

7. Never chew gum in public places. 

8. The boys gave Tom Sawyer marbles, pieces of glass, a one- 
eyed kitten, two tadpoles, and other things dear to boys. 























ANALYSIS AND DIAGRAMING 47 

9. Rudyard liked the school and took part in all the outdoor 
games. 

10. He had laid the book down. 

11. He scored one of the Yanks’ runs and drove in three others. 

12. I bought all the newspapers and read the accounts of the 
game. 

13. Through a series of small grassy glades we cautiously picked 
our way. 

14. Must everybody write his misspelled words for tomorrow? 

15. The farmer produces the most of our food and clothing ma¬ 
terials. 


Indirect Object 


1. She taught me the punctuation rules. 


2. Father gave my brother 
She 1 taught [ rules 


1 

x | me 

the 


punctuation 


and me a radio. 

The indirect object is dia¬ 
gramed as if it were a preposi¬ 
tional phrase with the preposition 
understood. In sentence 2 there 
is a compound indirect object. 


Father | gave [ _ radio 


1 


brother 

a 


X I ' 

1 my 
and 

me 





Practice 6 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. A little boy gave his father a kiddie kar. 

2. Will you lend me your fountain pen? 

3. Harry told the class an entertaining story. 

4. Lions and elephants gave us interesting views of themselves. 

5. Will you pay me the amount? 

6. Father gave John and George a bulldog. 
















48 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Appositive 

1. To the White House came D. A. Reed, the Pennsylvania 
senator. 

2. We saw pictures of Suzanne Lenglen, a great tennis player. 


D. A. Reed = senator | came 



1 

the 

to | White House 


Pennsylvania 

| the 


We | saw | pictures 


of | Suzanne Lenglen = player 
a 


great 

tennis 


Practice 7 

Analyze or diagram these sentences: 

1. You yourself should rise to the occasion. 

2. One month, July, is extremely hot. 

3. Edith Jensen, a seventeen-year-old swimmer, yesterday 
swam across the Baltic Sea. 

4. Another duck, a lone canvasback, flew by on his way to 
some rice bed upstream. 

5. You will like the autobiography, The Making of an American. 

6. Ernest L. Smith, civilian aviator, and Emery B. Bronte, his 
navigator, flew from St. Louis to Oakland. 

7. The winner of the essay contest was James Williams,. a 
pupil of Roosevelt Junior High School. 

8. Commander Byrd spent the night at the home of his friend 
Harold Howard. 

9. Stickeen, an entertaining dog story, was written by John 
Muir. 

10. From the top of Whiteface we saw Montreal, a tiny speck 
on the landscape. 

11. The primitive Australians used the boomerang, an ingeni¬ 
ous weapon. 













ANALYSIS AND DIAGRAMING 


49 


Direct Address 

1. John, come here. 

2. Why are you so late, Hilda? 

The word in direct address is placed 
on a line above the rest of the sentence. 
The placing shows that the word in di¬ 
rect address is an independent element, 
and has no grammatical connection 
with the rest of the sentence. 


John 

x | come 

~1 

here 


Hilda 


you | are \ late 


Why 


so 


Practice 8 

Analyze or diagram these sentences: 

1. Boys, how soon will you be ready for the game? 

2. Jack, why did the United States declare war on Spain? 

3. What is the capital of New York, Mildred? 

4. May we go to the football game, mother? 

5. Who gave you the roses, Emma? 


Other Independent Elements 

1. There are thirty pupils in my English class. (There is an 
expletive or introductory adverb. It does not modify any word.) 

2. Yes, Lincoln High won the game. 


There 

pupils 

thirty 


are 


in I class 


my 

English 



















50 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Yes 

Lincoln High | won | game 


the 

Practice 9 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. Hardly one novel in a hundred can hold a candle to Silas 
Marner. 

2. In 1801 Jefferson sent a fleet to the Mediterranean and made 
war upon the pirates. 

3. The Australian sheepshearer is one of our most striking 
characters. 

4. King Edward was very fond of beans and bacon. 

5. Down the frozen grand allee at Quebec a team of seven ex¬ 
cited dogs romped. 

6. Almost every motor camper keeps an expense account. 

7. In the distance lay the Hawaiian Islands, a mere dot on the 
broad Pacific. 

8. Father, are Americans the greatest travelers in the world? 

9. The height of the walls of the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas 
is over twenty-five hundred feet. 

10. He climbed into a French fighting plane, a 300-horsepower 
Nieuport; did the loop-the-loops, headspins, sidedrifts, grapevines, 
fluttering-leaves over Paris. 

11. The Great Falls wilderness is a bit of unspoiled nature. 

12. There is not a single skyscraper in the city of London. 

13. Oshkosh is one of the finest cities of its size in our broad 
land. 

14. A courageous, confident animal is not dangerous. 

15. Cardinal virtues for him were brevity and silence. 

16. He read me a chapter of one of his favorite novels, Ivanhoe. 

17. I went home for supper but could not eat much. 

18. A tap with the old brass knocker brought to the door a 
woman of pleasing appearance. 




CHAPTER V 


PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 

To learn to punctuate sentences correctly one must 
not only study the simple rules of punctuation but 
also practice applying them. To apply the rules one 
often needs to know how to separate a sentence into 
its parts. 

Ends of Sentences 

A declarative sentence states a fact. 

1. Willis is the captain of the track team. 

2. It was the last half of the ninth inning. 

An interrogative sentence asks a question. 

1. Where are you going? 

2. Who is the president of the society? 

An imperative sentence expresses a command or a 
request. 

1. Open the window. 

2. Call up Prospect 6345. 

An exclamatory sentence expresses strong or sudden 
feeling. 

1. Oh, what a worthy woman sent me here! 

2. You were certainly a shining light tonight, Peg! 

Notice the periods after the declarative and im¬ 
perative sentences, the interrogation points after the 
questions, and the exclamation points after the ex¬ 
clamatory sentences. 

Practice 1 

Tell what kind of sentence each of the following is, 
and place the correct punctuation mark at the end of 
it: 


51 


52 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


1. The price is three dollars a volume 

2. What is his name 

3. Oh, how happy we are to see you 

4. Haven’t you placed several orders with us already 

4. Come here at once 

6. His face and hands were black with smoke 

7. What a glorious day this is 

8. Where did you ever find out all those interesting things 

9. May I borrow your bicycle 

10. Who first flew from New York to Paris 

Practice 2 

Name twelve objects in a room, and write a sentence 
about each. State facts about three of the objects, 
ask questions about three, tell persons to do something 
to three, and write exclamatory sentences about three. 
Watch your punctuation. 

The Period after Abbreviations 

The period is used after abbreviations; as, A.M., 
Mass. 

Do not use a period after per cent or a Roman nu¬ 
meral in a sentence. 

The passing mark was raised to eighty per cent by Dr. Thomas 
and Mr. Johnson. 

George III hired Hessians to fight against the Americans. 

Practice 3 

Place periods after abbreviations and at the end of 
declarative and imperative sentences: 

1. Mr S M Johnson of Washington, D C , visited us 

2. At 10:30 aM and at 4:15 pm we met Dr Clark and Messrs 
James and Williams at the Y M C A 

3. Mrs Collins is spending the week with Miss Ryder 

4. W H Holmes sent the goods C 0 D to D C Heath & Co 

5. Other abbreviations used in good writing are i e (that is), 
e g (for example), viz (namely), b c (before Christ), and a d (in the 
year of our Lord). 


PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 


53 


Comma 

Direct Address 

Notice the punctuation of these sentences. What is 
the use in each sentence of the italicized word? 

1. Father, what is static? 

2. Try that, you wide-awake scout. 

3. ’Tis not too late, my friends, to seek a newer world. 

The underscored words name the persons addressed 
and are set off by commas. How many commas are 
required to set off the expression in sentence 1? In 
sentence 2? In sentence 3? To set off an expression 
from the rest of the sentence requires two commas 
unless the expression is at the beginning or the end 
of the sentence. A good slogan in applying comma 
rules containing the words set off is: “ Two or none.” 

Practice 4 

Punctuate the following sentences: 

1. What is your answer John 

2. Are you in the habit Margaret of putting question marks after 
interrogative sentences 

3. Find the subject of this sentence Marion 

4. Can you punctuate this sentence correctly Ernest 

5. Charles please take this report to the office 

6. Here Sidney is your baseball 

Appositives 

Study the punctuation of the following sentences. 
What is the use in the sentence of each italicized word? 

1. Mrs. Posa Lewis, the queen of cooks, has tickled the palate 
of kings. 

2. The ounce, or snow leopard, is rare and beautiful. 

3. Mary, the youngest of our three elephants, had no teeth. 

4. James Fenimore Cooper made vivid the scenes of the 
French and Indian War in his thrilling tales, The Pathfinder and 
The Last of the Mohicans. 


54 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


5. John Campbell, A.M., Ph.D., is the author. 

6. James Kroeger, Jr., was elected treasurer. 

7. Mrs. Wilbur cooked the meals herself. 

8. The poet Wordsworth lived in England. 

9. The election took place in the year 1928. 

10. My uncle Will and my cousin Jack discussed the apostle 
Paul and the orator Burke. 

As a rule an appositive is set off by commas. Ap- 
positives preceded by or (sentence 2), and titles and 
degrees after a name (sentences 5 and 6) are set off. 
The comma is not used, however, to set off brief, 
commonly used, and very closely connected apposi- 
tives (sentences 7, 8, 9, 10). 

Practice 5 

Pick out the appositives in the following sentences, 
and tell how each is used. Punctuate the sentences 
correctly. 

1. We really derive the word census from the Romans 

2. Booth Tarkington American novelist is to bring out a new 
book this fall 

3. His life-long pal Bill Hastings had the remnants of a motor¬ 
cycle 

4. The American bison or buffalo is the largest of all North 
American hoofed animals 

5. Rosie Sunshine an armless girl has won in a real school a gold 
medal for her penmanship 

6. Big Bill Tilden ranking United States tennis player won from 
Francis Hunter of New York in a hard-fought five-set match today 

7. Sister Barbara heard the poet Alfred Noyes read “The 
Highwayman” 

8. In the House of Representatives today is Hamilton Fish an 
old football captain at Harvard 

9. Kipling wrote a story of schoolboy life Stalky and Co 

10. Bessemer the inventor of the steel process was an English 
engineer 

11. What do you yourself think 

12. Mr. Williams president of the student body last term was 
next given the floor to take charge of the elections 


PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 55 

13. In the 100-yard dash Herbert Sims the city champion was 
beaten decisively by John McDonald of Poly Prep 

14. St. Thomas the first port of call seems to the Northerner a 
paradise 

15. A rickshaw happened to be coming out of a Hutung or alley 
just then 

Practice 6 

In sentences of your own, use five of the following 
word-groups as appositives: my favorite author, the 
most exciting story I ever read, the great American 
inventor, the popular athlete, the latest fad, the great 
American humorist, the largest city in California, the 
Keystone State, a powerful German police dog, the 
capital of Massachusetts, the highest mountain I ever 
saw. 


Practice 7 

Combine the two sentences in each group into one 
sentence containing an appositive. Punctuate the 
sentence correctly. 

1. Peggy stood beside her during the ceremony and held her 
bouquet. Peggy is her youthful daughter. 

2. Adolph Loos drew the plans of the house. He is one of the 
foremost architects .of this city of magnificent architecture. 

3. Mrs. Barker next took the platform. She is the principal of 
Washington High School. 

4. We spent the night at Lagrange, Illinois. This is a suburb 
of Chicago. 

5. In Terhune’s new book the hero is a giant collie. This dog 
is the son of another of Terhune’s heroes. 

6. Old Dick died yesterday. He was one of the most intelligent 
mine mules in the anthracite region. 

7. Silas Marner is now at the Capitol Theater. It is an adapta¬ 
tion of George Eliot’s famous story. 

8. Lindbergh was hailed in Paris, London, Washington, New 
York, and other cities as a real American hero. He was the first 
man to fly from New York to Paris. 


56 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Series 

What is the use in the sentence of each italicized 
word? Notice the punctuation of the sentences. 

1. Come out and run, jump, or put the shot. 

The italicized words have the same use in the 
sentence; they are verbs in a series. The comma is 
used after run and between jump and the conjunction 
or. 

2. After a brisk walk, a game of tennis, or a swim, a boy craves 
solid, nourishing food. 

Walk, game, and swim are separated by commas, 
because they are a series of nouns used as the object of 
after ; and solid and nourishing, because they are 
adjectives modifying food. 

3. We saw him in his house, on the road, and at the village. 

In his house, on the road, and at the village are 
separated by commas, because they are a series of 
prepositional phrases modifying saw. 

As the examples illustrate, when a conjunction is 
used between the last two items only, most authori¬ 
ties place a comma before the conjunction. 

When all the conjunctions are used, no comma is 
required unless the expressions are long. 

1. He is wise and just and generous. 

2. He was not rich enough to give the boy a suitable money 
reward, and therefore offered to teach him the elements of teleg¬ 
raphy. 

In the word-group wise old owl no comma is used, 
because the adjectives wise old are so closely con¬ 
nected as to seem one solid modifier. Likewise the 
adjectives in two little boys, strong right arm, and solid 
gold watch seem solid modifiers, not separate descrip¬ 
tions. 


PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 57 


Practice 8 

Pick out the expressions in a series in each sentence, 
and tell how they are used. Punctuate the sentences 
correctly. 

1. He wore a neat gray suit dark blue striped tie black shoes. 

2. I bought a team of horses a cow a pig a small flock of hens 
and farming implements. 

3. A tall ruddy-faced well-built man was standing near by. 

4. Confucius ranks among the foremost patriots sages and 
teachers of the world. 

5. He could open a latch tie or untie a knot open and close the 
stable door remove his own harness and do many other feats. 

6. Then a heavy-bodied old man and light-bodied younger 
man climbed out and sized up the situation. 

7. Bobby Jones was only about twenty but learned golf in 
Atlanta, Georgia, under the tuition of one of the best professional 
teachers of golf ever furnished to this country by Scotland. 

8. On the place was this house an old barn some twenty-five 
old apple trees and plenty of stones. 

9. Young defeated the greatest endurance swimmers of the 
world in perhaps the most grueling body-killing soul-testing water 
feat ever accomplished by human being. 

10. After some experimenting we made the baby elephant’s gruel 
out of milk water corn meal sugar condensed milk and coarse white 
flour. 

Addresses and Dates 

Notice how addresses and dates are punctuated: 

1. The Glee Club held its first meeting on Tuesday, February 8, 
in the Auditorium. 

2. Collies born and bred at Sunnybank, Pompton Lakes, New 
Jersey, are Terhune’s heroes. 

3. The sleet storm in Bennington, Vermont, caused a complete 
tie-up of the trolley service. 

4. On Friday, February 11, the Science Club visited the new 
plant of the Brooklyn Edison Company at Hudson Avenue. 

February 8, Pompton Lakes , New Jersey , Vermont , 
and February 11 are set off by commas. In an address 
or date each item after the first is set off by commas. 


58 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 9 

Punctuate the following sentences. Tell why each 
comma is needed. 

1. Samuel L. Clemens was born at Florida Missouri on Novem¬ 
ber 30 1835. 

2. At Redding Connecticut Samuel L. Clemens died. 

3. Along Macon Ridge Louisiana deer and wild turkey fought for 
food. 

4. On Friday July 15 we stopped at Lake Placid New York for 
an hour. 

5. Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4 1872 at Plymouth Ver¬ 
mont. 

6. Write to the Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. St. Paul Street 
Rochester New York. 

Parenthetical Expressions 

An expression slipped into a sentence and loosely 
connected with the rest of the sentence is called 
parenthetical and is set off by commas. 

1. In the villages and on the farm, however, people still lived in 
the simple manner of the days before the Revolution. 

2. On the whole, the natives dislike being photographed. 

3. A whiff of tobacco smoke, like the proverbial straw, may show 
the direction of the wind. 

4. Lo Hi Yet is still alive, or was a few months ago, living in great 

comfort in the British city of Hongkong. ^ 

5. At Hampton and at Tuskegee, on the other hand, the whole 
process of education is one of partnership between hand and mind. 

Usually however, first, secondly, in the first place, by 
the way, for example, after all, and though are set off. 
If these words or expressions modify closely, commas 
are not used. 

The comma as a rule is not used to set off also, 
perhaps, indeed, therefore, of course, at least, in fact, 
nevertheless, likewise, and other parenthetical expres¬ 
sions that do not require a pause in reading aloud. 

Well, why, or now at the beginning of a conversa- 


PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 59 

tional sentence is commonly set off; etc. is always set 
off. 

1. Why, I hardly knew what to make of the lark’s actions. 

2. But George — well, he turned around and swam back two 
miles in that icy water in the darkness of the night! 

3. At a market potatoes, beans, corn, etc., are offered for sale. 

Pkactice 10 

4 

Punctuate the following sentences. Which ex¬ 
pressions are parenthetical? 

1. By mail free send me the booklet about the most famous 
library in the world. 

2. Like everything great the lion has his share of critics and de¬ 
tractors. 

3. Black-capped chickadees build their nests in posts or trees 
usually near the ground. 

4. In moving pictures all clergymen of whatever sect wear 
shovel hats. 

5. At five Kipling was sent like many children of the Anglo- 
Indians to school in England. 

6. I have today however a farm worth $25000 and a tractor a 
sprayer a packing-house'etc worth $3500 more. (A comma separates 
the hundreds and thousands of a number written in figures.) 

7. Like the bee world humankind is infested with drones and 
parasites. 

8. On the wall was a big map old and yellow with red railroad 
lines all over it. 

9. He moved closer glad to have diverted attention from him¬ 
self. 

10. Two fawns tired and hungry entered the camp and were 
made pets by the boys. 

Contrasting Expressions 

The comma is used to set off contrasting expres¬ 
sions introduced by not. 

1. My husband stalks his lions afoot, not from a car or tree. 

2. Often the manner of correction, not the correction itself, 
hurts. 


60 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Yes and No 

Use the comma after yes and no when not a com¬ 
plete answer. 

1. Yes, you’re right. 

2. No, he hasn’t been in school today. 

Clearness 

% 

1. The night before, we bought a tent to take with us. 

2. To Thomas, Washington seemed the greatest figure in Ameri¬ 
can history. 

3. On April 4, 65 were present; on April 5, 70; on April 6, 80. 

In each sentence a comma is necessary to prevent 
misreading. This very general rule should not be 
used to justify punctuation unless, as in these cases, 
no other rule applies. 

Quotation Marks 

Titles of plays, books, magazines, and newspapers 
may be inclosed in quotation marks. In print they 
are usually italicized. 


Practice 11 

Punctuate the following sentences, and give a rea¬ 
son for each mark inserted: 

1. Manners like swimming or any other sport must be learned 
through practice. 

2. Send the books C 0 D to 605 Walnut Avenue Syracuse New 
York. 

3. I get through my breakfast climb into my car and start 
downtown about nine o’clock. 

4. Is John D Rockfeller Jr interested in the model garden tene¬ 
ments for working people in Bayonne New Jersey 

5. On July 4 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed 
in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. 

6. Out climbed Edison’s son Charles a gentle-mannered 
capable-looking man in his middle thirties. 


PUNCTUATION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 


61 


7. Yes Ned I should like to play tennis with you. 

8. Steamboats could not climb mountains run through dense 
forests or cross wide prairies. 

9. Yes I wish I had taken French Peg. 

10. The home of the chamois is in the mountains of southern 
Europe especially the Pyrenees the Alps and the Caucasus Moun¬ 
tains. 

11. Mercersburg Academy winner of last year’s carnival did not 
compete yesterday. 

12. David Copperfield’s mother a weak little woman married 
Mr Murdstone. 

13. The Saturday Evening Post is published by the Curtis Pub¬ 
lishing Co Independence Square Philadelphia Pennsylvania. 

14. The regular weekly meeting of Scribblers our- writers’ club 
was held on Wednesday February 8 the seventh period in room 

107. 

15. Near Tashkent Russian Turkestan a tigress sneaked into a 
farmhouse and devoured two peasants. 

16. Thousands of giraffes truly wonderful creatures have been 
killed by hunters both white and black solely for the sake of seeing 
them dead and leaving them as prey to the hyenas and hunting 
dogs. 

17. Children as well as grown folks like to read books written 
in simple direct language. 

18. In two days Gunda was taught to receive pennies lift the 
lid of his “bank” drop the coin within and ring his bell. 

19. In 1796 Napoleon a shaggy-haired large-skulled short young 
man of twenty-seven had a ragged army at his back. 

20. George Young seventeen-year old Boy Scout swam the 
frigid treacherous Catalina Channel of Southern California on 
July 15 and won $25000 offered by William Wrigley Jr. 

Summary 

Period 

1. Place a period at the end of a declarative or an 
imperative sentence. 

2. The period is used after abbreviations. 

Question Mark and Exclamation Point 
The question mark is used after an interrogative 


62 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


sentence; the exclamation point, after an exclamatory 
sentence. 

Comma 

1. Set off by commas words in direct address. 

2. As a rule an appositive is set off by commas. 

3. Use the comma to separate expressions in a 
series. 

4. In an address or date each item after the first is 
set off by commas. 

5. Most parenthetical expressions are set off by 
commas. 

6. The comma is used to set off contrasting expres¬ 
sions introduced by not. 

7. Use the comma after yes or no when not a com¬ 
plete answer. 

8. Occasionally, when no other rule justifies the use 
of a punctuation mark, a comma is necessary to pre¬ 
vent misreading. 


1 


CHAPTER VI 

NOUNS 

Capitalization of Proper Nouns 

Mary Seaton of Aylesbury, England, is a queen of whip and spur. 

Mary Seaton, Aylesbury, and England are proper 
nouns, because they are proper or particular names of 
an individual person, place, and country. Queen, 
whip, and spur are common nouns, because they are 
common names of all persons or objects of these 
classes. 

Man is the name of millions of human beings, but 
William Shakespeare is the name of one man. 

Proper nouns and adjectives derived from them are 
capitalized: Theodore Roosevelt, French, Alexander 
the Great, English. ( History, physics, biology, and 
mathematics are common nouns.) 

Adjectives that have developed a specialized mean¬ 
ing are not capitalized: 

biblical, china eggs, morocco leather, macadam, mackintosh, 
india rubber, puritanical, manila paper, roman type, paris green 

Proper names include: 

1. Names of political parties, religious sects, na¬ 
tions, and races: 

Democrats, Republicans, Methodist, Catholic, Jew, Indian, 
German 

2. Historical events, periods, and documents: 

World War, Battle of Gettysburg, Middle Ages, Peace of Ver¬ 
sailles, Declaration of Independence 

63 


64 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


3. Days of the week, months of the year, and 
holidays (but not names of seasons): 

Monday, June, Labor Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, spring, summer, 
fall, winter, midwinter 

4. Geographical names and names of buildings: 

Hudson River, Rocky Mountains, Prospect Park, Atlantic Ocean, 
South Pole, Twenty-third Street, Nassau County, Second Ward, 
Biltmore Hotel, White House, Metropolitan Building. (Some au¬ 
thorities prefer Hudson river, Rocky mountains, Prospect park.) 

Notice Gulf of Mexico, city of Chicago, state of 
Pennsylvania . Gulf is capitalized, because it is part 
of the name. In city of Chicago and state of Pennsyl¬ 
vania, the names are Chicago and Pennsylvania. 

5. The words North, South, East, Northwest when 
they name particular parts of the country. 

He has lived in the South and the West. 

We went east for a mile, then south for five miles. (In this sen¬ 
tence east and south denote directions.) 

6. Titles of organizations and institutions: 

Lehigh Valley Railroad, First Baptist Church, North High 
School, Chicago University 

High school, society, club, company, and hotel are 
common nouns unless they are clearly individual 
names or parts of such names: 

the high school in Geneseo, the company, the club, the associa¬ 
tion, the hotel 

7. Names of governmental bodies and depart¬ 
ments : 

Congress, House of Representatives, Newport Board of Educa¬ 
tion, Fire Department, Fifty-second Congress 

8. Titles used with proper names and titles of the 
highest governmental officials used without the proper 
names: 


NOUNS 


65 


the President, the Secretary of the Navy, the King, Colonel 
Jackson, Major General Wilson, James Tuscan, A.M., Litt. D., 
Former President Taft, Judge Gray 

Notice the use of titles without capitals: 

A judge, a general, and a senator attended the meeting. 

9. Titles of books, articles, and compositions: 

Far Away and Long Ago, Boy’s Life of Abraham Lincoln, The 
Adventures of Captain Horn 

Articles, short prepositions, and short conjunctions 
are capitalized only when they begin titles. 

10. Names of the Deity and names for the Bible 
and divisions of the Bible: 

Old Testament, Psalms, the Scriptures, the Almighty 

11. Nouns clearly personified. (To personify is to 
speak of an object without life as if it were a living 
being.) 

His companions were Jest, Jollity, and Liberty. 

Practice 1 

Capitalize the following for use within sentences. 
Give a reason for each capital inserted. 

1. helen keller’s the story of my life. 2. lexington hotel. 3. the 
valley of the mississippi. 4. vice president adams. 5. decoration 
day. 6. forty-second street. 7. high-school course. 8. a high 
school in denver. 9. james taxon, a.m., ph. d. 10. the american 
book company. 11. winter. 12. second ward. 13. history, 
physics, and latin. 14. lincoln junior high school. 15. missouri 
river. 16. battle of verdun. 17. island of cuba. 18. union paci¬ 
fic railroad. 19. the club. 20. the declaration of independence. 
21. postmaster general new. 22. woolworth building. 23. univer¬ 
sity of California. 24. Saturday. 25. india rubber. 

Practice 2 

Capitalize the following. Give the reason for each 
capital. 


66 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


1. During the russo-japanese war i spent the summer and fall 
on an island in penobscot bay in the state of maine. 

2. Nobody but a new englander could have spoken so well, 
for the yankees of new england still speak the saxon english of the 
translators of the king james bible. 

3. It was as president of the college of the city of new york that 
dr. john h. finley, now of the new york times, made his reputation 
as an educator. 

4. The one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of 
the declaration of independence was celebrated in Philadelphia, 
where in old independence hall on july 4, 1776, this immortal docu¬ 
ment proclaiming the independence of the american colonies was 
signed. 

5. Alfred owen oster, a member of the union league club, went 
to Washington to offer the president the use of his summer home, 
wildwood, near harbor springs, michigan. 

6. The tree in hartford, Connecticut, in which captain Words¬ 
worth hid the state charter from governor andros was afterward 
known as the charter oak. 

7. The third annual president’s cup swimming meet will be held 
this year on august 27 at Washington, d. c., under the auspices of 
the Washington canoe club. Competition will be over a three-mile 
course in the potomac river and will be conducted under the super¬ 
vision and rules of the amateur athletic union. 

8. Leonard wood was born at winchester, new hampshire, Octo¬ 
ber 9,1860; graduated from the harvard medical school in 1884. He 
was appointed an assistant surgeon in the united states army on 
january 5, 1886. For his services in the apache campaigns in that 
year he was awarded a congressional medal. He was promoted to 
the rank of captain in the medical corps on January 5, 1891, and 
appointed colonel of the united states volunteer cavalry — the rough 
riders — on may 8, 1898. For his services at las guasimas and san 
juan hill he was made a brigadier general in 1898, and that same year 
was promoted to the rank of major general. 

Formation of Plural 

If a noun names one person, place, or thing, it is 
singular; if it denotes more than one, it is plural. 

1. The commonest way to form the plural is to add 
s or es to the singular: dog, dogs; author, authors; 
fox, foxes; porch, porches. After s, x, z, sh, and ch, es 


NOUNS 


67 


is added and forms a separate syllable: bench (one 
syllable), benches (two syllables); gas, gases; box, 
boxes; dish, dishes; Burns, Burnses. 

2. The following words ending in o add es to form 
the plural: 

echoes mosquitoes negroes tomatoes 

embargoes mottoes noes tornadoes 

heroes mulattoes potatoes torpedoes 

jingoes 

The plurals of other common words end in os. A few 
plurals may be written oes or os: zero {zeros or zeroes), 
halo, memento, calico, cargo, domino, volcano, buffalo. 

3. Nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant 
change y to i and add es: fly, flies; lady, ladies; enemy, 
enemies; spy, spies. 

Exceptions occur: 

a. In proper names: Marys, Murphys, Henrys. 

b. In drys -and stand-bys. 

Nouns ending in y preceded by a vowel add s 
regularly: donkey, donkeys; turkey, turkeys; journey, 
journeys; monkey, monkeys. 

4. Some nouns ending in / or fe change the / to v 
and add es: calf, calves; half, halves; sheaf, sheaves; 
loaf, loaves; thief, thieves; elf, elves; beef, beeves; 
shelf, shelves. 

Other nouns in / and fe add s regularly: proof, proofs; 
hoof, hoofs; roof, roofs; fife, fifes; dwarf, dwarfs; 
chief, chiefs; grief, griefs; belief, beliefs; handkerchief, 
handkerchiefs. 

A few have both plurals: wharf, wharfs or wharves; 
scarf, scarfs or scarves. 

5. A few old words have a plural in en: ox, oxen; 
child, children; brother, brethren (or brothers). 

6. Other old words change the vowel: man, men; 
woman, women; tooth, teeth; foot, feet; goose, geese; 


68 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


louse, lice; mouse, m^ce; policeman, policemen; sales¬ 
woman, saleswomen. German, Roman, and Norman 
are not compounds of man. Their plurals are Germans, 
Romans, and Normans. 

7. In compound words the plural sign is usually 
added to the word that names the object. Son-in-law 
is a kind of son; hence the plural is sons-in-law. 
Attorney-general is a kind of attorney; the plural is 
attorneys-generat. Other illustrations are editors-in- 
chief, major generals, bathhouses, boards of education, 
teacups, men-of-war, blackbirds, bookcases. 

Exceptions are: 

a. Words in which both parts are equally important: go-betweens, 
forget-me-nots. 

b. Words not thought of as compounds: mouthfuls, cupfuls. 

c. A few words which pluralize both parts: menservants, women 
servants. 

8. Many words retain their foreign plurals. Some 
have also a plural in s. Foreign plurals are formed in 
a variety of ways. 

a to ce 

alumna (feminine), alumnae vertebra, vertebrae 
us to i 

alumnus (masculine), alumni bacillus, bacilli 
um to a 

bacterium, bacteria datum, data 
is to es 

axis, axes crisis, crises 

basis, bases parenthesis, parentheses 


Various Methods 

Singular Plural Singular 


Plural 


species species 
monsieur messieurs 


series 


series 


index indices or indexes 

appendix appendices or appendixes 

phenomenon phenomena 


NOUNS 


69 


9. Notice the plural of proper names with the titles 
Mr., Miss, Master, and Mrs. 


Singular 


Plural 

Messrs. Furlong 

the Misses Furlong or (informal) 


Mr. Furlong 
Miss Furlong 


the Miss Furlongs 
the Masters Furlong 
the Mrs. Furlongs 


Master Furlong 
Mrs. Furlong 


There is no plural form of Mrs.; hence the name it¬ 
self is pluralized. 

10. The plurals of letters, figures, and signs are 
formed by adding ’s. 

His 6’s look like o’s and his k’s like h’s. 

Change all the +’s to — ’s. 

11. A few nouns have the same form in the singular 
and the plural: sheep, deer, shad, Japanese, heathen . 

Note also these singular forms: 

three yoke of oxen, five dozen eggs, eight head of cattle, a twenty- 
foot pole 

12. Some nouns are used in the plural only: scissors, 
trousers, pincers, shears, proceeds, suds, nuptials, ashes, 
riches, (golf) links, athletics. 

13. A few nouns ending in s are singular in meaning: 
news, measles, mumps, mathematics, politics, civics, 
physics, economics, the United States. 


Practice 3 

Write the plurals of these words: 


1. heathen 

2 . 8 

3. Mr. Jones 

4. basis 

5. Burns 

6. church 

7. half 

8. alley 


9. crisis 

10. solo 

11. enemy 

12. sheep 

13. If 


17. lily 

18. ally 

19. chief 

20. rifle 

21. gas 


14. Miss Thompson 

15. major general 

16. piano 


22. tomato 

23. lady 

24. man-of-war 


70 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


25. 

manservant 

34. 

datum 

43. 

editor-in-chief 

26. 

Mrs. Stilson 

35. 

handkerchief 

44. 

alumna 

27. 

series 

36. 

steamboat 

45. 

spoonful 

28. 

roof 

37. 

brother-in-law 

46. 

hanger-on 

29. 

donkey- 

38. 

alumnus 

47. 

elf 

30. 

mosquito 

39. 

policeman 

48. 

turkey 

31. 

attorney- 

40. 

Roman 

49. 

Mary 

32. 

grief 

41. 

dwarf 

50. 

trout 

33. 

soprano 

42. 

cry 




Gender 

Nouns denoting males are in the masculine gender; 
those denoting females, in the feminine gender. The 
names of things without animal life are in the neuter 
gender: star, tree, house, pen, light. Words like child, 
parent, pupil, cat, teacher, artist, musician, which 
denote either males or females, are in the common 
gender. 

Commonly different words are used for male and 
female. 


Masculine 

Feminine 

Masculine 

Feminine 

drake 

duck 

lord 

lady 

gander 

goose 

sir 

madam 

buck 

doe 

bachelor 

maid 

ram 

ewe 

husband 

wife 

bull 

cow 

wizard 

witch 

monk 

nun 

uncle 

aunt 

cock 

hen 

monsieur 

madame 

Many feminine nouns end 

in ess. 


Masculine 

Feminine 

Masculine 

Feminine 

actor 

actress 

heir 

heiress 

baron 

baroness 

host 

hostess 

deacon 

deaconess 

lion 

lioness 

duke 

duchess 

negro 

negress 

count or earl 

countess 

patron 

patroness 

emperor 

empress 

prince 

princess 

god 

goddess 

waiter 

waitress 

master 

mistress 

launderer 

laundress 


NOUNS 


71 


Other endings occur in the feminine and the mascu¬ 
line. 


Masculine 

hero 

administrator 

executor 


Feminine 

heroine 

administratrix 

executrix 


Masculine Feminine 
widower widow 
alumnus alumna 

Francis Frances 


Author, poet, and instructor are commonly used in¬ 
stead of the feminine forms authoress, poetess, in¬ 
structress. 


Case 

Subjects, predicate nominatives, and words in direct 
address are in the nominative case. Objects of verbs 
and prepositions and indirect objects are in the ob¬ 
jective case (also called accusative and dative). An 
appositive has the same case as the word it limits. 

Because the form of the nominative and the objec¬ 
tive case of a noun is exactly the same, there is no 
chance to make a mistake in these cases. The posses¬ 
sive (or genitive), however, which denotes ownership 
or possession ( John’s horse ) or connection (a month’s 
salary, deer’s tracks, Shakespeare’s plays), has a form 
of its own. 

If the possessor is not a living being, the of phrase 
is more frequently used than the possessive, especially 
in prose: the color of the dress (not the dress’s color), 
the pages of the book (not the book’s pages). In a few 
expressions both the of phrase and the possessive sign 
are used: a friend of mother’s, that lazy tongue of 
Harry’s. 


How to Form the Possessive 

The possessive case of a noun always has an apos¬ 
trophe; the possessive of a personal pronoun never 
has an apostrophe. 


72 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Possessive Singular 

To form the possessive singular of a noun, add ’s to 
the nominative. The possessive sign is always at 
the end of the name: son-in-law’s. When forming 
possessive singulars, first write the words. Then 
quickly place ’s at the end of each word. 


author’s 

Burns’s 

child’s 

lady’s 

donkey’s 


mouse’s 

enemy’s 

son-in-law’s 

officer’s 

policeman’s 


Exception. Words of two or more syllables ending 
in s or an s sound and not accented on the last syllable 
may take the apostrophe only: conscience’ sake, 
Dickens’ novels, righteousness’ sake. Some authorities 
consider Burns’ and Jones’ correct. 


Possessive Plural 


To form the possessive plural of nouns, first write 
the plurals. Then add ’s to the plurals that do not 
end in s and an apostrophe to the plurals that end in s. 
(The plurals ending in s are checked.) 


v/ authors’ 

\/ Burnses’ 
children’s 
\/ladies’ 
v/donkeys’ ^ 


mice’s 
\/ enemies’ 
sons-in-law’s 
%/ officers’ 
policemen’s 


Joint Possession 

For joint possession only one apostrophe is needed: 
Allyn and Bacon’s New York office. If the possession 
is individual, the possessive sign is added to the name 
of each owner: “ John’s, James’s, and Jack’s shares 
are as 2, 3, and 4.” 


NOUNS 


73 


Practice 4 

Write the possessive singular and the possessive 
plural of these words: 


1 . 

Jones 

10. editor-in-chief 

19. 

fairy 

2. 

woman 

11. mousetrap 

20. 

dollar 

3. 

year 

12. potato 

21. 

deer 

4. 

fox 

13. ally 

22. 

James 

5. 

man 

14. alley 

23. 

enemy 

6. 

Dickens 

15. monkey 

24. 

turkey 

7. 

father-in-law 

16. Murphy 

25. 

chief 

8. 

sheep 

17. king of England 



9. 

fly 

18. boy 




Habits 

Knowing how to write plurals and possessives and to 
capitalize is not enough. We must form the habit of 
spelling plurals and possessives correctly and of 
capitalizing proper nouns. Then we use the correct 
forms from force of habit without stopping to think of 
grammar. 


Practice 5 

Which forms are correct? Why? 

1. They always had a smile on their-. (face, faces) 

2. -father and Ebenezer were brothers. (Davids, David’s) 

3. Many small boys wish to be-. (a policeman, policemen) 

4. We both had-. (a tennis racket, tennis rackets) 

5. Add two-of water, (teaspoonful, teaspoonfuls) 

6. Stella is on the-basketball team, (girls, girl’s, girls’) 

7. He is six-two inches tall, (foot, feet) 

8. The-marks on the punctuation test were higher than 

the-. (boys, boy’s, boys’) (girls, girl’s, girls’) 

9. In this large room are-of all the presidents of the United 

States, (a statue, statues) 

10. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is considered one of the most 

eloquent-ever given, (address, addresses) 

11. Some voters can’t even sign their-. (name, names) 


74 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


12. In modern poetry many of the common things of every 

day life are made-of beauty, (a thing, things) 

13. In Which College for the Boy the various colleges and-are 

discussed, (university, universities) 

14. The cricket’s song seems like the-among the hills. 

(grasshopper, grasshopper’s) 

15. Why don’t you take a ten-vacation? (days, days’) 

16. Periods are used at the end of-. (a declarative sentence, 

declarative sentences) 

17. The dogs held to the raft with their-. (mouth, mouths) 

18. Bunker Hill Monument was erected to honor those who 

gave their-at the Battle of Bunker Hill, (life, lives) 

19. Webster’s oratorical abilities, I think, were greater than 
-. (Lincoln, Lincoln’s) 

20. Longfellow’s poems are simpler than-. (Coleridge, Cole¬ 

ridge’s) 

21. Tom declared all those who signed the list with a drop of 

their own blood-of this band, (a member, members) 

22. The box contained hair tonic, medicine, jams, and all- 

of things, (sort, sorts) 

23. In the paper are pictures of the-basketball team and 

the-hockey team, (boys, boy’s, boys’) (girls, girl’s, girls’) 

24. Add two - of sugar, (tablespoonful, tablespoonfuls, 

tables spoonfuls) 


Practice 6 

About people, animals, or birds you know, write five 
sentences in which you use the possessive singular and 
five in which you use the possessive plural. Under¬ 
score the possessives. 


Summary 

1. A proper noun is the name of a particular per¬ 
son or thing. 

2. A common noun is a name which applies to any 
one of its class. 

3. Proper nouns and adjectives derived from them 
are capitalized. 

4. Number is that property of nouns and pro- 


NOUNS 75 

nouns which shows whether they denote one or more 
than one. 

5. The singular number denotes but one. 

6. The plural number denotes more than one. 

7. Plurals are commonly formed by adding $ or es. 

8. Gender is a distinction in regard to sex. 

9. Nouns or pronouns denoting males are in the 
masculine gender. 

10. Nouns or pronouns denoting females are in the 

feminine gender. 

11. The names of things without animal life are in 

the neuter gender. 

12. Names which denote either males or females are 

in the common gender. 

13. Case is the form or use of a noun or pronoun 
that shows its relation to other words in the sentence. 

14. Subjects, predicate nominatives, and words in 
direct address are in the nominative case. 

15. Objects and indirect objects are in the objective 
case. 

16. The possessive case denotes ownership, pos¬ 
session, or connection. 

17. To form the possessive singular of a noun, add 
’s to the nominative singular. 

18. To form the possessive plural of a noun, first 
write the plural. Then add an apostrophe if the 
nominative plural ends in s, and ’s if the nominative 
plural does not end in s. 


CHAPTER VII 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 

Good Use 

How can one find out whether an expression is cor¬ 
rect or incorrect, whether it is in good use? When in 
doubt, one usually consults a grammar, a composition 
and rhetoric, a dictionary, a book of synonyms, or a 
manual of style. But no book is an authority except 
in so far as it reports accurately the customary usage 
of cultured and intelligent people. The only real 
authority is the' usage of educated and careful writers 
and speakers. 

Literary English and Colloquial English 

Many people think that an expression must be 
either right or wrong. Some expressions, however, are 
both good and bad English. For example, “ lots of 
people ” and “ It is me ” are not good usage in an ordi¬ 
nary composition, but are acceptable in conversation. 
The expressions are colloquial English, not literary 
English. Literary English is used in novels, short 
stories, histories, biographies, magazine articles, and 
formal letters, essays, and public speeches. Colloquial 
English is used in conversation and informal letters and 
essays. 

Definition of Pronoun and Classes of Pronouns 

A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun. The 
noun for which the pronoun stands is called its ante¬ 
cedent. 

1. The president said that he would study the problem. 

76 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 77 


He is used instead of president; president is the ante¬ 
cedent of he. 

2. The boy who was elected president was an able leader. 

Who is used instead of hoy; hoy is the antecedent of 
who. 

There are five kinds of pronouns: personal, inter¬ 
rogative, relative, demonstrative, and indefinite. 

Personal Pronouns 

Personal pronouns show by their form whether the 
speaker, the person spoken to, or the person or thing 
spoken of is referred to. 

I saw you and him. 

The first person I refers to the speaker; the second 
person you , the person spoken to; and the third 
person him , the person spoken of. 

Pronouns of the First Person 

Singular Plural 

Nominative I we 

Possessive my, mine our, ours 

Objective me us 

Pronouns of the Second Person 

Singular Plural 

Nominative you (thou) you (ye) 

Possessive your, yours (thy, thine) your, yours 

Objective you (thee) you (ye) 

The old forms, thou, thy, thine, thee, and ye, are 
sometimes used in poetry and solemn prose. 


Pronouns of the Third Person 

Singular 

Masculine Feminine Neuter 
Nominative he she it 

Possessive his her, hers its 

Objective him her it 


Plural 

they 

their, theirs 
them 


78 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Case 

Which forms are correct? 

1. Who is there?-(I, me) 

The correct pronoun is 7, because in the completed 
sentence, “ I am here,” 7 is the subject of am. 

2. Between you and-I don’t believe a word of his story. 

(I, me) 

Me is the object of the preposition between. 

3. It is-. (I, me) 

7 is the predicate nominative of the verb is. “ It 
is me,” however, is good colloquial English. 

Practice 1 

Fill the blanks with the correct pronouns. Explain 
the use in the sentence of each pronoun selected. 

1. -and-are going, (he, him) (I, me) 

2. Who did that? -(I, me) 

3. This is between-and-. (he, him) (I, me) 

4. His father and-discovered the lost girls, (he, him) 

5. Nobody but-noticed the exit of Bob. (she, her) 

6. They can’t win against-girls, (we, us) 

7. Father gave a radio to my brother and-for Christmas. 

(I, me) / 

8. It’s-. (he, him) 

9. Boys like-are respected, (he, him) 

10. She watched Nan and-for a short time, (he, him) 

11. He walked with Mary and-. (I, me) 

12. My cousin took my sister and- to the entertainment. 

(I, me) 

13. The apples were given to John and-. (I, me) 

14. Let’s you and-go somewhere. (I, me) 

15. Helen then told Mildred and-where to hide. (I, me) 

16. My mother took my sister and-to Bear Mountain. (I, 

me) 

17. Marion went with my brother and-to school. (I, me) 

18. It was a letter from my aunt in Connecticut, inviting my 

mother, father, and-to spend a week with her. (I, me) 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 


79 


19. -girls had the best fun. (us, we) 

20. Between you and-I don’t think his opinion is of much 

value. (I, me) 

21. Please let John and-go to the ball game. (I, me) 

22. This taught my friend and-a lesson. (I, me) 

23. No one but-escaped, (he, him) 

24. With you and-for guides we cannot go astray, (he, him) 

25. The men were angry at Silver and-. (I, me) 

Practice 2 

In sentences of your own, use correctly 7, me, we, us, 
he, him, she, they, them. You may write a sentence for 
each pronoun or use two or three of the pronouns in 
one sentence. 


Practice 3 

Why is each italicized word correct? Repeat these 
correct expressions until you form the habit of using 
them. 

1. He and I are on the same team. 

2. Rover was with him and me. 

3. Why were you and he absent? 

4. He was with me. 

5. Do you want him and met 

6. It was he. 

7. It was they. 

8. Mother gave her and me a dog. 

9. Harry and I saw the game. 

10. He and I did the work. 

11. Will you meet her and met 

12. We boys are going skating. 

Agreement with Antecedent 

We need to watch not only the case but also the 
number of our pronouns. The case of the pronoun 
depends upon its use in the sentence, but in number, 
person, and gender the pronoun agrees with its ante¬ 
cedent. First we find the antecedent, then decide 


80 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


what number it is in, and then use a pronoun in the 
same number. 

Which is the correct pronoun in each sentence? 

1. Must everybody write-misspelled words for tomorrow? 

(his, their) 

His is correct, because the antecedent everybody is 
singular. 

2. These cartoons would make any one human laugh-sick. 

(himself, themselves) 

Himself, the correct form, agrees with its ante¬ 
cedent any one in the singular number. 

Antecedents like each, everybody, and any one are 
especially troublesome. It is well to remember that 
each, every, either, neither, any one, anybody, every one , 
everybody, some one, somebody, no one, nobody , one , 
many a, and a person are singular. 

Some authorities consider the use of the plural pro¬ 
noun to refer to one of these pronouns correct collo¬ 
quial English: “ Everybody bought their own ticket.” 
Most careful speakers avoid this usage. 

3. Every high-school graduate has a chance to continue - 

education, (his, his or her) 

His is correct. His or her calls attention to the 
fact that boys and girls are included. It is correct but 
clumsy. 

4. One can be successful in-own town, (his, one’s, their) 

His may be used to refer to one. Some authorities, 
however, consider one’s better usage. 

Practice 4 

Choose the correct word or expression. What is the 
antecedent of each pronoun used? 

1. Has anybody-library book? (his, their, his or her) 

2. Each of us has-duty to do. (his, their, his or her, our) 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 81 

3. Every one of us should prepare - lessons, (his, their, 


our) 

4. One of the girls lost-book, (her, their) 

5. Every one of them inherited-money, (his, his or her, 

their) 

6. Who wants vocations for-topic? (his, his or her, their) 

7. A little spurt by any one would quickly raise-position 

in the contest, (his, their) 

8. Every one is storing-food for the winter, (his, their) 

9. Nobody put-up. (his hand, their hands) 

10. It is wise for every one to interest-in athletics, (him¬ 

self, themselves) 

11. Everybody was ready to write-sentences on the black¬ 

board. (his, their) 

12. Most of us boys have had the feeling of closing-eyes 

for just a second, (our, their) 

13. Does any one want to volunteer to give- talk? (his, 

their) 

14. A singing bird can make a person forget, for the time being, 
-sorrows, (his, their) 

15. They found some old tin cans and tied- to the fence. 

(it, them) 

16. Every one had started for-tents, (his, their) 

17. One forgets-cares and troubles in listening to a comedy. 

(his, their) 

18. Everybody went to the circus all dressed up in-Sunday 

clothes, (his, their) 


Practice 5 

Write seven sentences similar to those in the preced¬ 
ing exercise in which personal pronouns have as ante¬ 
cedents any one, anybody, each, one, every one, everybody, 
and nobody. Underscore the personal pronouns. 

Gender 

A feminine pronoun is commonly used in referring to 
a ship or the moon. 

Has the Leviathan reached her dock? 

The silvery moon is showing her face. 


82 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Masculine pronouns are used in speaking of the sun 
and most animals. 

The sun set in all his glory. 

A dog is faithful to his master. 

It i s commonly used in speaking of a small animal. 

The mouse made its home in the granary. 

It and They 

In “It is getting late,” and “It is snowing,” it is 
correctly used without an antecedent. In most 
sentences, however, it and they require antecedents. 

Which are correct? 

1. They raise rice in China, or The Chinese raise rice. 

The sentence after or is correct. In the first sentence 
they has no antecedent. It is easier to get rid of the 
pronoun than to provide an antecedent. 

2. I like lawyers and so chose-as my profession, (it, law) 

It in the sentence could not refer to lawyers , be¬ 
cause he did not choose lawyers as his profession. 
Hence law is the correct word. 

3. -tells of his many adventures, (in the book it, the book) 

In and it are not needed. The correct sentence is, 
“ The book tells of his many adventures.” 

Practice 6 

Correct the following. Give a reason for each 
change. 

1. Some high schools have debating teams and have found it 
successful. 

2. In The Sea Hawk it is about pirates. 

3. In preparing this speech Lincoln did it in a systematic way. 

4. These lines have been very valuable to me. It has made me 
realize the beauty of nature. 

5. In Wordsworth’s poem “Michael” it tells of a poor farmer, 
his wife, and his only son. 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 83 

6. In The Beloved Vagabond it is a story of a man and a boy 
who tramp together about Europe. 

7. They manufacture typewriters in Syracuse. 

8. At the end of Little Women it tells you that two of the girls 
are married. 


Word Order 

When you are speaking about yourself and another, 
it is courteous to mention the other person first. 

1. -went to the movies yesterday. (Helen and I, I and Helen) 

Helen and I is correct and shows the speaker well- 
bred, because she mentions Helen first and herself last. 
Helen and I is the compound subject of went. 

Practice 7 

Select the courteous expressions: 

1. As to labor,-devote our entire time to the farm. (I and 

my boys, my boys and I) 

2. One day last August- left for the Catskill Mountains. 

(I and the rest of my family, the rest of my family and I) 

3. -were riding through the dense woods. (I and Wamba, 

Wamba and I) 

4. Last Saturday- 1 saw the championship football game. (I 

and my brother, my brother and I) 

Compound Personal Pronouns 

Singular Plural 

First person myself ourselves 

Second person yourself (thyself) yourselves 

Third person himself, herself, itself themselves 

Use 

1. I hurt myself. 

The compound personal pronoun myself refers back 
to the subject. 

2. Wilson himself will attend to the matter. 

The compound personal pronoun himself emphasizes 
the noun to which it is attached. 


84 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Most careful speakers and writers do not use these 
compound personal pronouns as simple personal 
pronouns, especially in the nominative case. 

Which is the correct pronoun in each sentence? 

1. Mother, John, and-made up the party. (I, myself) 

Most careful speakers and writers choose the simple 

personal pronoun. 

2. Black Beauty enjoys-. (himself, hisself) 

The table shows himself correct. Hisself and their - 
selves are incorrect forms. 

Practice 7 

In each sentence select the correct or better word 
and give the reason: 

1. One day last summer several friends and-planned to 

spend the day in the woods. (I, myself) 

2. We are planning to go by-. (ourself, ourselves) 

3. The nations are endeavoring to destroy all hard feelings 

among -. (each other, themselves) 

4. Last year my friends and-gave an entertainment. (I, 

myself) 

5. Last year my parents and-planned to take a trip to 

Virginia. (I, myself) 

6. He decided to publish the paper by-. (hisself, himself) 

7. Morris, Charles, and-were to sleep in one of the new 

tents. (I, myself) 

8. Seven of my friends and-started on a trip to the Cats- 

kill Mountains. (I, myself) 

9. Uncle Harry took mother and-to the opera at Co vent- 

Garden, (me, myself) 

10. Last Monday Uncle Joe, Cousin Jerry, and-went on a 

fishing trip. (I, myself) 


Practice 8 

Jot down the errors you hear in the use of pronouns, 
and bring them to class. Be ready to correct the 
sentences and give a reason for each change. 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 


85 


Interrogative Pronouns 

How are the italicized words used? 

Who is it? 

Which does he prefer? 

What does he want? 

The interrogative pronouns, who, which, and what, 
are used in asking questions. 

Singular and Plural 

Nominative who 

Possessive whose 

Objective whom 

Which and what have the same form in the nomina¬ 
tive and objective and are not used in the possessive. 

What are the italicized words? 

Which subject do you like best? 

What rules for the use of the comma do you know? 

In these sentences which and what, used in asking 
questions, are adjectives, because they modify the 
nouns subject and rules. 

Case 

It is easier to find the use of a word if the sentence is 
arranged in grammatical or natural order: (1) sub¬ 
ject and modifiers, (2) verb, (3) object, predicate ad¬ 
jective, or predicate nominative. 

Which pronoun in each sentence is correct? 

1. -is it for? (who, whom) 

The grammatical order of the sentence is, It is for 
{who, whom)? Whom, the objective case because 
object of the preposition for, is the literary-English 
form. “ Who is it for? ” is, however, correct col¬ 
loquial English. 


86 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. -was the leader? (who, whom) 

The grammatical order is, The leader was (who, 
whom)? Who is the predicate nominative of the verb 
was. 

Practice 9 

Select in each sentence the proper form of the pro¬ 
noun according to literary usage. Give the syntax 
(use in the sentence) of every pronoun selected. 

1. -shall I call? (who, whom) 

2. —— did you see in the house? (who, whom) 

3. -is the captain of the company? (who, whom) 

4. -did the club elect? (who, whom) 

5. -is it? (who, whom) 

6. -do you know in Bennington? (who, whom) 

Practice 10 

Which three of the following sentences are correct 
literary English? Which three are correct colloquial 
English? Which one is incorrect? 

1. Who are you talking of? 

2. Of whom are you talking? 

2. To whom does the garden belong? 

4. Who does the garden belong to? 

5. Whom is the editor of the school paper? 

6. Who did you vote for? 

7. For whom did you vote? 

Relative Pronouns 

The forms and uses of the relative pronouns who, 
which, what, and that are explained in Chapter XII. 
Compound relative pronouns are discussed in Chap¬ 
ter XIV. 


Demonstrative Pronouns 

How are this and that used? 

1. I prefer this but shall take that because it is cheaper. 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 


87 


This and that are demonstrative pronouns; they 
point out. 

2. I prefer this suit but shall take that one &cause it is cheaper. 

This is an adjective modifying suit, and that is an 
adjective modifying one. 

The demonstrative pronouns are this and that and 
their plurals these and those. 

Indefinite Pronouns 

How do the italicized words differ from demonstra¬ 
tive pronouns? 

1. Neither is correct. 

2. Both worked. 

3. One wonders why he went. 

4. Any one will show you the house. 

In these sentences neither, both, one, and any one are 
called indefinite pronouns, because they point out less 
clearly or definitely than demonstratives do. 

1. Neither answer is correct. 

2. Both boys worked. 

3. One friend wonders why he went. 

In these sentences neither, both, and one modify the 
nouns answer, boys, and friend and are therefore ad¬ 
jectives. 

Although there are only five commonly used per¬ 
sonal pronouns {I, you, he, she, it), four commonly 
used relative pronouns {who, which, what, that), three 
interrogative pronouns {who, which, what), and two 
demonstrative pronouns {this, that), there are about 
forty members of the indefinite pronoun family. 
Some of them are each, every, either, neither, any one, 
anybody, anything, every one, everybody, everything, 
some one, somebody, something, no one, nobody, one, 
some, any, many, few, all, both, none, such, other, each 
other, another, one another, several. 


88 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Pkactice 11 

In good sentences about books you have read use 
the following words as indefinite pronouns and as 
adjectives: each, either, some, any, many, few, all, 
another, and several. 

The possessive singular of an indefinite pronoun is 
formed by adding ’s at the end of the pronoun. 

one’s each other’s 

neither’s one another’s 

any one’s anybody’s 

Summary 

1. A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun. 

2. The noun for which the pronoun stands is its 

antecedent. 

3. There are five kinds of pronouns: personal, 
interrogative, relative, demonstrative, and indefinite. 

4. Personal pronouns show by their form whether 
the speaker, the person spoken to, or the person or 
thing spoken of is referred to: I, you, he, she, it. 

5. The case of a pronoun depends upon its use in 
the sentence. The subject and the predicate nom¬ 
inative are in the nominative case; objects and 
indirect objects are in the objective case; words 
showing ownership or connection are in the possessive 
case. 

6. A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person, 
number, and gender. 

Each, every, either, neither, any one, anybody, every 
one, everybody, some one, somebody, no one, nobody, one, 
many a, and a person are singular. 

His or her is correct but clumsy. 

His may be used to refer to one. 

Commonly it and they require antecedents. 


FORMS AND USES OF PRONOUNS 89 

7. When speaking about yourself and another, as 
a matter of courtesy mention the other person first. 

8. A compound personal pronoun usually refers 
back to the subject or emphasizes a noun or pronoun. 

Most careful speakers and writers do not use the 
compound personal pronouns as simple personal 
pronouns, especially in the nominative case. 

Hisself and their selves are not English words. 

9. The interrogative pronouns, who, which, and 
what, are used in asking questions. 

10. The demonstrative pronouns, this and that, 
point out. 

11. Indefinite pronouns point out less clearly or 
exactly than demonstratives do. 


CHAPTER VIII 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 

Because about half the grammar mistakes made by 
pupils are errors in the use of the verb, this chapter 
has many exercises. By practicing these intelligently 
you will form the habit of selecting the right verb and 
the right verb form. 

An engine is a necessary part of an automobile. 
Without it a car does not go. Likewise a verb is an 
essential part of a sentence, for without it a group of 
words cannot express a complete thought. Some 
verbs, like some engines, are very simple: “ I saw a 
thrush.” Others resemble an eight-cylinder engine: 
“ Jack should have been elected ” In this sentence the 
verb elected and the auxiliaries should have been to¬ 
gether make the statement about Jack. 

Transitive and Intransitive 

A verb is transitive if it has an object or if the sub¬ 
ject is acted upon. Other verbs are intransitive. 

Which of these verbs have objects? In which sen¬ 
tences is the subject acted upon? 

1. A wise man built a house. 

2. He built on a rock. 

3. The hunter shot a bear. 

4. The hunter shot at the bear. 

5. I was elected president of the club. 

6. I am president of the club. 

Built in 1 and shot in 3 are transitive because they 
have objects. Was elected in 5 is transitive because 
the subject is acted upon. Built in 2, shot in 4, and 
90 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


91 


am in 6 do not have objects, and their subjects are 
not acted upon. Hence these three verbs are intransi¬ 
tive. 

Sentences 1, 2, 3, and 4 show that a verb may be 
transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another. 
A few verbs like be, seem, and appear are always in¬ 
transitive. 

Transitive means “ going over.” If the action 
“ goes over ” from one person, animal, or thing to 
another, the verb is transitive; if the action doesn’t 
11 go over,” the verb is intransitive. 

Practice 1 

Classify the verbs as transitive and intransitive. 
Which of the transitive verbs have objects? Which 
have subjects that are acted upon? 

1. Last week I read Boy’s Life of Edison. 

2. Have you read about the championship baseball game? 

3. Fred spoke clearly and entertainingly about scouting. 

4. Fred speaks French fluently. 

5. The bloom of the Hood River apples was very light this 
year. 

6. He could stew and fry food. 

7. At once I organized a search party. 

8. The wolf was shot near Lake Placid. 

9. The village is called Marcellus. 

10. At all times we were conscious of a vast animal life about us. 

11. The tugs swing breezily from the river to the dock. 

12. For fifteen cents an hour in American money one can go all 
over Manila in a native two-wheeled carriage. 

13. From a rock elevation I searched the plain with my glasses. 

14. Twenty-six Boy Scouts recently arrived in New York City 
from the Panama Canal Zone. 

15. This small park is now surrounded by skyscrapers. 

Practice 2 

Use each of the following as a transitive and as an 
intransitive verb: fly, hear, pay, play, sing, see, draw. 


92 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Active and Passive 

Which subjects act? Which are acted upon? 

1. A wise man built the house. 

2. The house was built by a wise man. 

3. The farmer shot the deer. 

4. The deer was shot by a farmer. 

In 1 and 3 the subjects man and hunter act; the 
verbs are in the active voice. In 2 and 4 the subjects 
house and deer are acted upon; the verbs are in the 
passive voice. A transitive verb is active if the sub¬ 
ject acts, and passive if the subject is acted upon. 

A verb that has an object is transitive active. If 
the subject is acted upon, the verb is transitive passive. 
Other verbs are intransitive. 

Practice 3 

Which verbs are active? Which are passive? If a 
verb is active, show that it has an object and that the 
subject acts. If it is passive, show that the subject is 
acted upon. 

1. A gorilla has been obtained by the Harvard Museum Expe¬ 
dition. 

2. A watch should be wound not more than once a day, prefer¬ 
ably at night. 

3. The making of a good tennis racket requires sixty-five dif¬ 
ferent operations before stringing. 

4. He darns socks beautifully. 

5. He is respected by the men of the West. 

6. Watches and clocks are tested for the public by the scien¬ 
tists of the Bureau of Standards. 

7. Four of us climbed Mount Marcy yesterday. 

8. Golf clubs are made to order by a number of companies. 

9. Higher prices for lettuce and tomatoes are shown by the 
weekly review of local food markets. 

10. Kipling has told many thrilling stories. 

11. The horse chased one of his enemies to the wall. 

12. Every day the mounting sun made heavy attacks on the snow. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 93 

13. The lamb was seized by an eagle. 

14 - The laughing crowds along the side lines cheered Fatty 
Simon. 

15. During recent years many old buildings have been purchased 
by organizations and by individuals. 

Changing from Active to Passive 

(Active voice) John carried the apples to the house. 

(Passive voice) The apples were carried to the house by John. 

(Active voice) Jane wrote the sentence on the blackboard. 

(Passive voice) The sentence was written on the blackboard 
by Jane. 

The object of the active verb becomes the subject 
of the passive verb. Some form of the verb be is a part 
of every passive verb phrase: “I was told”; “1 had 
been told.” 

Practice 4 

Change the active verbs in practice 3 to passive and 
the passive verbs to active. 

Practice 5 

In a paragraph tell what kind of person makes the 
best friend. Refer to a person or persons you know, 
have heard about, or have read about. Draw one 
line under every intransitive verb, two lines under a 
transitive active verb, and three lines under a transi¬ 
tive passive verb. 

Tense 

Tense means time. All time is divided into the past, 
the present, and the future. The present tense (I see 
a robin) is used for the present time; the past tense 
(I saw a robin), for past time; and the future tense 
(I shall see a robin), for future time. 

The perfect tenses are used to express action com¬ 
pleted or perfected at some time. The present perfect 


94 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


tense (I have seen ) is used if the action is completed in 
the present time or extends, at least in its conse¬ 
quences, to the present; the past perfect (I had seen), 
if the action was completed before some past time; 
and the future perfect (I shall have seen), if the action 
will be completed before some point in future time. 

(Past) The house stood for twenty years. 

The house is no longer standing. The standing took 
place entirely in the past. 

(Present perfect) The house has stood for twenty years. 

The house is still standing. The standing extends 
to the present. 

(Past perfect) After the house had stood for twenty years, it was 
torn down. 

The tearing down took place in past time, and the 
standing was completed prior to the tearing down. 

Practice 6 

Explain the difference in meaning between— 

1. The car (ran, has run) for eight years. 

2. I (lost, have lost) my fountain pen. 

3. He (lived, has lived) for eighty years. 

4. Carlton (went, has gone) to the circus. 


Mood 


Mood is the way in which a verb makes a statement. 
The three moods are illustrated in these sentences: 
Indicative Mood 

1. He is the man. 

2. Is he the man? 

Imperative Mood 

3. Be a man. 


Subjunctive Mood 

4. I wish I were in Paris. 

5. If I were in Paris, I should learn to speak French. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


95 


The indicative mood is used in stating a fact or 
asking a question. The imperative mood is used in 
commanding or requesting. Notice in the sentences 
illustrating the subjunctive that the speaker is not 
in Paris. In sentence 4 he wishes he were there; in 5 
he tells what he would do if he were there. Two uses of 
the subjunctive are to express a wish and a condition 
contrary to fact, something imagined but not true. 

Conjugation and Synopsis 

Conjugating a verb is giving all its forms in order. 
A good way to become acquainted with the terms used 
in talking about verbs is by conjugating a verb or 
giving a synopsis of it. A conjugation is convenient 
also for reference. A synopsis is an abbreviated con¬ 
jugation: in each tense of the indicative and subjunc¬ 
tive only one of the six forms is given. 

CONJUGATION OF TO BE 
Principal Parts 
Past: was Past Participle: been 

Indicative Mood 
Present Tense 

Plural 
we are 
you are 
they are 

Past Tense 

we were 
you were 
they were 

Future Tense 

we shall be 
you will be 
they will be 


Present: am 


Singular 

1. I am 

2. you are 

3. he is 

1. I was 

2. you were 

3. he was 

1. I shall be 

2. you will be 

3. he will be 


96 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Present Perfect Tense 


1. 

I have been 


we have been 

2. 

you have been 


you have been 

3. 

he has been 

Past Perfect Tense 

they have been 

1. 

I had been 


we had been 

2. 

you had been 


you had been 

3. 

he had been 


they had been 



Future Perfect Tense 

1. 

I shall have been 

we shall have been 

2. 

you will have been 

you will have been 

3. 

he will have been 

they will have been 



Subjunctive Mood 

(Notice that throughout each tense of the subjunctive the verb 

form is the same.) 





Present Tense 



Singular 


Plural 

1. 

if I be 


if we be 

2. 

if you be 

% 

if you be 

3. 

if he be 

Past Tense 

if they be 

1. 

if I were 


if we were 

2. 

if you were 


if you were 

3. 

if he were 


if they were 



Present Perfect Tense 

1. 

if I have been 


if we have been 

2. 

if you have been 

if you have been 

3. 

if he have been 

Past Perfect Tense 

if they have been 

1. 

if I had been 


if we had been 

2. 

if you had been 


if you had been 

3. 

if he had been 


if they had been 


Impekative Mood 
Present Tense 

Singular Plural 

be be 

(The infinitives, participles, and gerunds are given on page 121.) 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


97 


CONJUGATION OF TO SEE 
Principal Parts 

Present: see Past: saw Past Participle: seen 

Indicative Mood 

Active Voice Passive Voice 


Present Tense 


Singular 

Plural 

Singular 

Plural 

1. 

I see 

we see 

I am seen 

we are seen 

2. 

you see 

you see 

you are seen 

you are seen 

3. 

he sees 

they see 

he is seen 

they are seen 



Past Tense 


1. 

I saw 

we saw 

I was seen 

we were seen 

2. 

you saw 

you saw 

you were seen 

you were seen 

3. 

he saw 

they saw 

he was seen 

they were seen 



Future 

Tense 


1. 

I shall see 

we shall see 

I shall be seen 

we shall be 





seen 

2. 

you will see 

you will see 

you will be 

you will be 




seen 

seen 

3. 

he will see 

they will see 

he will be seen 

they will be 





seen 



Present Perfect Tense 


1. 

I have seen 

we have seen 

I have been 

we have been 




seen 

seen 

2. 

you have seen 

you have seen 

you have been 

you have 




seen 

been seen 

3. 

he has seen 

they have seen 

he has been 

they have 




seen 

been seen 



Past Perfect Tense 


1. 

I had seen 

we had seen 

I had been 

we had been 




seen 

seen 

2. 

you had seen 

you had seen 

you had been 

you had been 




seen 

seen 

3. 

he had seen 

they had seen 

he had been 

they had been 




seen 

seen 


98 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Future Perfect Tense 


1. I shall have 

seen 

2. you will have 

seen 

3. he will have 

seen 


we shall have 
seen 

you will have 
seen 

they will have 
seen 


I shall have 
been seen 
you will have 
been seen 
he will have 
been seen 


we shall have 
been seen 
you will have 
been seen 
they will have 
been seen 


Subjunctive Mood 
Present Tense 

if I, you, he see if I, you, he be seen 

if we, you, they see if we, you, they be seen 

Past Tense 

if I, you, he saw if I, you, he were seen 

if we, you, they saw if we, you, they were seen 

Present Perfect Tense 

if I, you, he have seen if I, you, he have been seen 

if we, you, they have seen if we, you, they have been seen 

Past Perfect Tense 

if I, you, he had seen if I, you, he had been seen 

if we, you, they had seen if we, you, they had been seen 

Imperative Mood 
Present Tense 

see be seen 

(The infinitives, participles, and gerunds are given on page 121.) 


SYNOPSIS 

IN THIRD PERSON SINGULAR OF TO CALL 
Principal Parts 

Present: call Past: called Past Participle: called 


Present 

Past 

Future 


Indicative Mood 
Active Passive 

he calls he is called 

he called he was called 

he will call he will be called 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


99 


Active 

Present perfect he has called 
Past perfect he had called 
Future perfect he will have called 


Passive 

he has been called 
he had been called 
he will have been.called 


Present 

Past 

Present perfect 
Past perfect 


Subjunctive Mood 


Active 
if he call 
if he called 
if he have called 
if he had called 


Passive 
if he be called 
if he were called 
if he have been called 
if he had been called 


Imperative Mood 

Active Passive 

Present tense, second person call be called 

(The infinitives, participles, and gerunds are given on page 122.) 

Practice 7 

1. Conjugate strike or teach. 

2. Conjugate help. 

3. Write a synopsis in the first person singular of 
invite. 

4. Write a synopsis in the third person singular of 
carry. 

5. Write a synopsis in the second person plural of 
take. 

Practice 8 

Insert in each sentence the verb form indicated. 
Supply the active of a transitive verb unless the pas¬ 
sive is asked for. 

1. I (past of carry) the package a mile. 

2. A long mountain view (present of appear) in every direction. 

3. The city (future of contain ) numerous parks and public 
gardens. 

4. If you (past perfect subjunctive of invite ) me a day earlier, 
I should have gone. 

5. After she (past perfect of wait) a half-hour for Marion, 
she went alone. 


100 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


6. Committees (future passive of appoint) to arrange programs 
of outdoor and indoor amusements. 

7. Hedges (present perfect passive of plant) between the houses 
and no fences (present passive of allow). 

8. All streets (future passive of line) with trees. 

9. Ten thousand spectators (present perfect of gathered) to 
watch the championship football game. 

10. A thoroughbred collie which (past perfect passive of select) 
by Albert Payson Terhune (past passive of award) as a prize for the 
best essay. 

11. I (present perfect of finish) my composition. 

Principal Parts of Verbs 

Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle 


be 

was 

been 

beat 

beat 

beaten 

become 

became 

become 

begin 

began 

begun 

break 

broke 

broken 

bring 

brought 

brought 

burst 

burst 

burst 

choose 

chose 

chosen 

climb 

climbed 

climbed 

come 

came 

come 

dive 

dived 

dived 

do 

did 

done 

draw 

drew 

drawn 

drink 

drank 

drunk 

drive 

drove 

driven 

drown 

drowned 

drowned 

eat 

ate 

eaten 

fall 

fell 

fallen 

flow 

flowed 

flowed 

fly 

flew 

flown 

forget 

forgot 

forgotten, forgot 

freeze 

froze 

frozen 

get 

got 

got 

give 

gave 

given 

go 

went 

gone 

grow 

grew 

grown 

hang 

hung 

hung 

hang (on gallows) 

hanged 

hanged 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


101 


Present Tense 

Past Tense 

Past Participle 

hide 

hid 

hidden 

hurt 

hurt 

hurt 

know 

knew 

known 

lay 

laid 

laid 

leave 

left 

left 

let 

let 

let 

lie ( recline ) 

lay 

lain 

ride 

rode 

ridden 

ring 

rang 

rung 

rise 

rose 

risen 

run 

ran 

run 

say 

said 

said 

see 

saw 

seen 

set 

set 

set 

shake 

shook 

shaken 

show 

showed 

shown 

shrink 

shrank 

shrunk 

sing 

sang 

sung 

sit 

sat 

sat 

speak 

spoke 

spoken 

spring 

sprang 

sprung 

steal 

stole 

stolen 

swim 

swam 

swum 

take 

took 

taken 

teach 

taught 

taught 

tear 

tore 

torn 

throw 

threw 

thrown 

wish 

wished 

wished 

wring 

wrung 

wrung 

write 

wrote 

written 


In a few cases another form is an accepted collo¬ 
quialism; as, drank as the past participle of drink , 
gotten as the past participle of get, dove as the past 
tense of dive. 


Practice 9 

Insert in each sentence the verb form named. 
Supply the active voice of a transitive verb unless the 
passive is asked for. 


102 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


1. I (past of do) my duty. 

2. I (present perfect of do) my duty. 

3. I (past of see) a bison. 

4. I (present perfect of see) many bisons. 

5. They (present perfect of go) to Philadelphia. 

6. The reckless aviator (past of come) to grief. 

7. Reckless aviators (present perfect of come) to grief. 

8. He (past of take) more than his share. 

9. Marion (present perfect of break) her lead pencil. 

10. Many heads of cabbage (present perfect of burst). 

11. Booth Tarkington (present perfect of write) many entertain¬ 
ing stories. 

12. They (present perfect of become) leaders in the medical 
profession. 

13. Many tourists (present perfect of drink) from this spariding 
brook. 

14. The callers (present perfect of ring) the bell three times. 

15. The messengers (past of bring) good news. 

16. The champion (present perfect of run) in many races. 

17. I wish he (past perfect subjunctive of go) to the lecture. 

18. If I (past subjunctive of be) you, I should educate my hands 
as well as my brain. 

19. If he (past perfect subjunctive of go) to college, he would 
be more thoroughly prepared for the work of engineering. 

20. He (past of say), “ Where are you going?” 

21. I (present of wish) I had time to do this work. 

22. Jim (past of see) the pirates’ flag. 

23. She was always the one that (past of do) it. 

24. He (past perfect of come) too late for the fun. 

25. Father (present perfect of go) to the store. 

26. Blind Pew (past passive of run) over and killed. 

27. He (past of give) me a pencil. 

28. While the men were looking down the road, they (past of 
see) a man on horseback. 

29. My pencil (present passive of break). 

30. The bell (present perfect of ring). 

31. I (present perfect of write) my answers. 

32. He (past perfect passive of run) over. 

33. The bridge (past perfect of fall) into the river. 

34. Peter (past of throw) a snowball. 

35. He (past of run) until he was out of breath. 

36. I (past of see) him yesterday on the street. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


103 


37. In some states murderers (present passive of hang). 

38. He (past perfect of forget) the meeting. 

39. When the canoe upset, the boy who couldn’t swim (past of 
drown). 

40. If I (past subjunctive of be) you, I should try again. 

41. He (past of hurt) his foot. 

42. I (present perfect of see) many birds this spring. 

43. So I (past of give) the beggar a dime. 

44. Then it (past of begin) to rain. 

45. He (past perfect of throw) away a good opportunity. 

46. I (past of come) in late yesterday. 

47. When he (past of see) the bear, he dropped his gun and (past 
of run). 

48. Sara (past of know) that the kind lady (past perfect of take) 
in this poor girl and (past perfect of gave) her a home. 

49. He was the only one who (past perfect of swim) that distance. 

50. She (past perfect of tear) both her dresses. 

51. Buck (past of spring) at the man. 

52. He (past passive of shake) up. 

53. He (past perfect of speak) on this subject before. 

54. My watch (past of sink) to the bottom of the river. 

55. We all (past perfect of eat) till we could eat no more. 

56. That’s why I (past of give) it to you. 

57. His pals (past perfect of come) to his room many times. 

58. After this we (past of do) our homework. 

59. We (past of run) through the back door and the dog after us. 

60. I (past of do) most of the work myself. 

Practice 10 

In sentences about topics of your own choice, use cor¬ 
rectly did, done, saw, seen, came, come, went, gone, gave, 
given, ran, run, threw, thrown, broke, broken. You may 
use two or three of the words in one sentence. 

Sit, Set, Lie, Lay, Rise, Raise 

The principal parts of these troublesome verbs are: 


Present 

Present 

Past 

Past 

Tense 

Participle 

Tense 

Participle 

sit 

sitting 

sat 

sat 

set 

setting 

set 

set 


104 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Present Present Past 


Past 


Tense Participle Tense 


Participle 

lain 


lie lying lay 

lay laying laid 

rise rising rose 


laid 


risen 

raised 


raise raising raised 


Set, lay, and raise are transitive verbs; in the 
active voice they require objects. Set is intransitive in 
“ The sun is setting ” and “ He set out on a long 
journey.” Since sit, lie, and rise are intransitive, they 
never take objects. 

Which are correct? 

1. He had-the book down, (laid, lain) 

The transitive verb laid is correct, because book is 
the object of the verb. 

2. The soldiers-down to rest, (laid, lay) 

There is no object; hence lay, the past of the in¬ 
transitive verb, is correct. 


Practice 11 


Insert the correct form of lay or lie. If you use the 
transitive active verb, tell what its object is. 

1. Five minutes later I was-on the sand. 

2. The tree has-there for a long time. 

3. My father was-upstairs in bed. 

4. Spot (past tense of lie or lay ) by the fire for an hour. 

5. The soldiers were-on the floor. 

6. In the gutter (past tense of lie or lay ) a sewer pipe. 

7. They saw a man-on the ground. 

8. He would go out into his garden and-there for hours. 

9. After dinner he sometimes walks to the woods and - 

down by a brook. 

10. The dog found the captain-on the beach. 

11. Beth went up to her room and-down. 

12 Peanut shells are-on the sidewalk. 

13. Peter the Great and his men - down and waited till 


night. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


105 


14. A large piece of dough w'as-on the table. 

15. The gifts (past tense of lie or lay ) under the Christmas tree. 

16. Ivanhoe was-on a bed sick. 

17. A tired rabbit (present tense of. lie or lay ) down to rest. 

18. My book was --on the table. 

19. The sprinkler has -—- the dust. 

20. Mother has-down to rest. 

Practice 12 

Insert the correct form of sit or set. If you use the 
transitive active verb, tell what its object is. 

1. The boy (past tense of sit or set ) down to rest. 

2. Let the little fellows-in front. 

3. Yesterday I —-— a trap for the rat. 

4. Philip was-with his wife and children. 

5. Marco helped her into the house and-her down on a 

chair. 

6. I’m going to-here. 

7. We have-here for an hour. 

8. For an hour we have been-here. 

9. Where did you-yesterday? 

10. Yesterday I-on the front seat. 

11. Arthur (past tense of sit or set ) down on the stump to rest. 

12. How long has Arthur-on the stump? 

13. They were all-around the table. 

14. They had-in the park all forenoon. 

15. Mr. Wood-the hen on fourteen eggs. 

Practice 13 

Insert the correct form of rise or raise. Give the 
reason for each choice. 

1. Why doesn’t the bread-? 

2. Yeast makes the dough-. 

3. He has-rapidly in the business world. 

Practice 14 

In sentences of your own, use correctly the four 
forms of lie (lie, lay, lying, lain), the three forms of 
lay (lay, laid, laying), the three forms of sit (sit, sat, 


106 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


sitting ), and the two forms of set (set, setting). You 
may write a sentence for each form or use two or three 
forms in one sentence. 

Shall, Will, Should, Would 

If you form the habit of saying I shall, we shall, I 
should, we should, you will be right nine times out of 
ten in the first person. If you also learn the rules, you 
will be right every time. 

Study the use of shall and will in these sentences: 

Futurity Volition 

1. I shall go to the meeting. I will go to the meeting. 

2. You will go to the meeting. You shall go to the meeting. 

3. He will go to the meeting. He shall go to the meeting. 

What is the difference in meaning between “ I shall 
go to the meeting ” and “ I will go to the meeting ”? 
A person who says I shall go means that he expects tn 
go or intends to go; one who says I will go promises 
to go, shows that he has made up his mind, uses his 
will. Likewise “ You will go to the meeting ” means 
that you expect to go or intend to go to the meeting; 
“You shall go to the meeting ” is a command, an 
exercise of the will of the speaker. Volition is a con¬ 
venient name for the exercise of the will of the speaker 
and includes command, consent, wish, willingness, 
promise, threat, and determination. 

Simple Future 

To express simple future time use shall in the first 
person and will in the second and third. 

1. I shall try to prove his answer wrong. 

2. I shall be glad to see the play. (“I will be glad to see the 
play” says that the speaker is determined to be glad, and is non¬ 
sense, because one does not determine to be glad to see a play.) 

3. He will take cold if the window is not closed. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


107 


Volition 

To express volition use: 

First person will 

Second person shall 

Third person shall 

1. We will let you go to the meeting. 

The speakers consent. 

2. You shall receive the hat before Saturday. 

The speaker promises. 

3. We will gladly send our representative. 

The speakers express willingness. 

4. He shall answer for this. 

The speaker threatens or expresses determination. 

5. You shall stay at home every evening this week. 

The speaker commands. 


Questions 


Question 

When will the train arrive? 

Shall you be glad to see him? 
Will you do the work carefully? 

Should you like to see the game? 


Answer 

It will arrive at 6:24 p.m. 
I shall be glad to see him. 
I will do it carefully. 

(The speaker promises.) 
I should like to see it. 


In first person questions use shall. In second and 
third person questions use the form expected in the 
answer. 

Some of the rules for shall, will, should, and would 
are disregarded by many educated and cultured 
people. Therefore “ I will probably come on Thurs¬ 
day / 7 although not the best usage, is correct colloquial 
English. The rule, however, indicates the practice of 
most writers. 


108 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Should , Would 

As some of the illustrations have shown, should is as 
a rule used like shall, and would like will. 

1. I should like to fly from Chicago to San Francisco. 

2. I would lend you the money if I could. 

3. I would rather die than retreat. 

Two exceptions to this rule are the use of — 

1. Would for habitual action. 

He would sit by the fire and sleep. 

2. Should to express duty. 

Every one should respect his parents. 

Practice 15 

Supply the preferred form: shall, will, should, 
would. Give the reason for each choice. 

1. We-be glad to hear from you soon. 

2. We-like to know the price of the larger cabinet. 

3. How-I be able to recognize her? 

4. We-be much pleased to have you examine the racket. 

5. The groceries I-like to have sent immediately. 

6. When-we three meet again? 

7. When-the bus reach Malone? 

8. I-probably spend a week in Keene Valley. 

9. I-like to go. 

10. When-we play off our tennis match? 

11. Every one-belong to the Red Cross. 

12. We-be glad to have you join the Writers’ Club. 

13. -you be sorry to return to school? 

14. We-probably listen to the. radio this evening. 

15. -we go to the library this afternoon? 

Practice 16 

Explain clearly the difference in meaning between 
1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8. 

1. I shall drown and nobody will help me. 

2. I will drown and nobody shall help me. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


109 


3. Will you attend the meeting of the Speakers’ Club? 

4. Shall you attend the meeting of the Speakers’ Club? 

5. David will go to bed before ten o’clock this evening. 

6. David shall go to bed before ten o’clock this evening. 

7. Andrew will not play football. 

8. Andrew shall not play football. 

Verb Phrases 

If you have studied Latin, Greek, German, or 
French conjugations, you know that a verb in one of 
these languages has dozens of forms to express various 
shades of meaning. Most English verbs have only 
four or five forms; e.g., take, takes, taking, took, taken. 
But the auxiliary verbs, do, did, is (are, was, were), 
have, had, can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, 
will, and would, help the principal verb to express the 
exact meaning desired. The verb with its auxiliaries 
or helpers is called a verb phrase. 

Progressive Verb Phrase 

A progressive verb phrase expresses action going 
on at the time referred to. 

Present He is building a house. 

Past He was building a house. 

Future He will be building a house. 

Present perfect He has been building a house. 

Past perfect He had been building a house. 

Future perfect He will have been building a house. 

Notice that each progressive verb phrase is made up 
of a form of the verb to be and building. 

Emphatic Verb Phrases 

Notice that the auxiliaries used in emphatic verb 
phrases are do and did. 

Present I do intend to work hard. 

Past I did prepare my lesson carefully. 


110 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


In questions and with not, these verb phrases are 
commonly used and may or may not emphasize the 
question or statement. 

Did you see Leslie? I did not see him. 

May, Can 

In formal English, use can for ability and may for 
permission, probability, or possibility. 

(Colloquial) Can I be excused from this class? 

(Better) May I be excused from this class? 

Even in conversation it is wise to use may for per¬ 
mission, because many consider the use of can for 
permission wrong. 

Practice 17 

Select the better word or expression. Give the 
reason for your choice. 

1. -I go to the library? (can, may) 

2. -I take this book to Mr. Foster? (can, may) 

3. -you solve the last problem in the lesson? (can, may) 

4. -I have another piece of toast? (can, may)* 

5. -— this book to the library? (can I bring, may 1 take) 

6. -your ink? (can I have the loan of, may I borrow) 

7. -I go with him to the store? (can, may) 

Ain’t* and Other Errors 

I am not = Fm not; is + not = isn’t; are + not = 
aren't. Ain't is always incorrect. 

May have seen, might have seen, must have seen, could 
have seen, and would have seen are correct verb phrases. 
The preposition of is never a part of a verb phrase. 

“ I ought not to go ” is correct. Had is never 
placed before ought. 

The past participle is used after have. 

I could have thrown the ball farther. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


111 


Practice 18 

Select the correct form of the two in each paren¬ 
thesis : 

1. -that what you mean? (ain’t, isn’t) 

2. He must have-to the meeting, (went, gone) 

3. You must have-me when I came, (saw, seen) 

4. He could have-the work before dinner, (did, done) 

5. You-to do this, (ought not, hadn’t ought) 

6. He could have-to the party, (come, came) 

7. I could-gone yesterday, (have, of) 

8. Colonel Dinwiddie’s jockey - bribed by the owner of 

Shining Star, (got, was) 

9. The captain-wounded in the attack, (got, was) 

10. They never would-thought him so small, (have, of) 

11. -tired. (I ain’t, I’m not) 

12. If he had walked around in the dungeon, he would have- 

down and been drowned, (fell, fallen) 

13. He must have-the meeting, (forgot, forgotten) 

14. She should have-her answer more clearly, (gave, given) 

15. She could have-on a better subject, (spoke, spoken) 

16. - you coming? (ain’t, aren’t) 

17. I-time to play baseball today, (ain’t got, haven’t) 

18. This description must-impressed his audience, (have, 

of) 

19. He-to waste his time, (ought not, hadn’t ought) 

20. He made a success of what might-been a flat failure. 

(have, of) 

21. I-homework, (ain’t got no, haven’t any) 

22. She must-out too far, for she almost drowned, (have 

gone, of went) 

23. The dog-going to hurt you. (ain’t, isn’t) 

24. I may-lost my pen. (have, of) 

25. I-pencil, (ain’t got no, haven’t a) 

Agreement of Verb and Subject 

A verb agrees with its subject in number and person. 
This rule looks simple enough, but is frequently 
violated. To apply the rule one must first find the 
subject, then discover the number of the subject. 






112 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


If the subject is a pronoun, one needs to notice also 
the person. The questions to ask about a sentence 
are: “ What is the subject? ” and “ What is the 
number of the subject? ” 

Which are the correct verb forms? 

1. There-two verbs in the sentence, (is, are) 

The subject verbs is plural; hence are is correct. 

2. He-attend this school any more, (don’t, doesn’t) 

Because the subject he is singular, doesn’t is correct. 

3. Jack,-you at the game yesterday? (was, were). 

Were is right, because the subject you always takes a 

plural verb. 

Modifiers 

Don’t be deceived by a prepositional phrase after 
the subject. Search out the subject and make the 
verb agree with it. 

1. The two boys from the city-with us. (was, were) 

Were agrees with the subject boys. 

2. The demand for these books-been great, (has, have) 

Has agrees with the subject demand. 

3. The new rules of the club- been printed, (has, have) 

Have agrees with the subject rules. 

Practice 19 

Choose the correct verb. What is the simple sub¬ 
ject? Show that the subject is singular or plural. 

1. They-looking for the treasure, (was, were) 

2. He-always speak clearly, (don’t, doesn’t) 

3. His choice of words-commended, (was, were) 

4. Mr. Penn, together with one other worker from the South, 

-been sent up North to tell of the needs in their section of the 

country, (has, have) 

5. In this book-many interesting pictures, (is, are) 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 113 

— supposed to do that for homework, (wasn’t, 


6. We 
weren’t) 

7. You-at home last evening, (wasn’t, weren’t) 

8. He-want to go. (doesn’t, don’t) 

9. There - some pirates standing on guard at the door. 

(was, were) 

10. The last few lines-a winter scene, (describes, describe) 

11. The contrast of hot summer and lone winter-variety 

to the poem, (gives, give) 

12. Two characters in the book-Amy and Jo. (is, are) 

13. Where-you last evening? (was, were) 

14. There-been several misspelled words, (has, have) 

15. The best way to correct these mistakes-to prepare more 

carefully, (is, are) 

16. There-only six oranges in the box. (was, were) 

17. There-many museums in New York City, (is, are) 

18. He-want to play baseball today, (doesn’t, don’t) 

19. One of the interesting things in the city-its plazas, (is, 

are) 

20. We-looking for grammatical errors, (was, were) 

21. There-also disadvantages in salesmanship as a profes¬ 

sion. (is, are) 

22. About the strange machine-gathered many boys, (has, 

have) 

23. In the next room there-a few small monkeys, (was, 

were) 

24. Wendy with her two brothers-playing in the nursery. 

(was, were) 

25. -two thoughts in the sentence, (there’s, there are) 

26. The price of the tickets-thirty-five cents, (is, are) 

27. They-with him. (was, were) 

28. Most of the animals on the farm-named after Dickens’s 

characters, (was, were) 

29. In the past year or two there-been built many theaters. 

(has, have) 

30. In this book-found many unusual words, (is, are) 

31. The study of such magazines as The Literary Digest and 

The Outlook -valuable, (is, are) 

32. In the heel of his boot-found the plans of the entire 

fort, (was, were) 

33. There-on an average six trains a day on this road, (is, 

are) 













114 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


34. All these facts-us realize the necessity of education. 

(makes, make) 

35. The number of automobile accidents-increasing every 

year, (is, are) 

36. The doctor’s pay-bits of bacon, crusts of bread, and 

sometimes a few coppers, (was, were) 

37. His use of figures of speech in both of the poems-my 

point, (proves, prove) 

38. A good many years of his life-spent in the South, (was, 

were) 

39. In the front of the furnace-two doors, (is, are) 

40. The chief aim of these bills-to do away with the slums 

of New York, (is, are) 

41. -you at the basketball game? (was, were) 

42. Mr. Howe together with Professor Jenks - written 

several books on the immigration problem, (has, have) 

43. There-five cars with four boys in each, (was, were) 

44. There-three people ahead of me. (was, were) 

45. After a long journey we reached our destination and- 

welcomed by my uncle, (was, were) 

46. The^ number of automobiles-increased during the past 

five years, (has, have) 

47. After picking berries for several hours we-very tired. 

(was, were) 

48. There-only a few days of my vacation left, (was, 

were) 

49. They-all arguing about the value of moving pictures. 

(was, were) 

50. Suddenly Fido-running into the street, (comes, come) 

51. In the center - hyacinths, (was, were) 

52. There-three men on top of the rock, (was, were) 

53. The author’s choice of words-noteworthy, (is, are) 

54. The order of speakers-been changed, (has, have) 

55. The three characters in the book-Beth, Jo, and Cal. 

(is, are) 

56. He --have, like the old Greek, to chew pebblestones in 

order to make a speech, (doesn’t, don’t) 

57. There-no signs of forced windows or doors, (is, are) 

58. Mr. Roberts with his family- spending the month at 

Point Pleasant, (is, are) 

59. The setting of these poems-clearly presented, (is, are) 

60. Many students-called upon to recite, (was, were) 






FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


115 


And 

Which is correct? 

Mary and I-playing tennis, (was, were) 

The compound subject Mary and I means two 
people; hence the plural verb were is correct. As a 
rule compound subjects connected by and take plural 
verbs. Two exceptions are: 

1. A compound subject that names one person, 
thing, or idea. 

Oatmeal and cream is a good breakfast dish. 

The captain and star of the football team is sick. 

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings. 

2. Some compound subjects following the verb. 
There was hurrying to and fro and tears and tremblings of dis¬ 
tress. 

There was a rabbit, a squirrel, and some pigeons. 

There was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lee. 

Or, Nor 

Which are correct? 

1. Either his pen or his book-lost, (is, are) 

Because the subject pen or book means one, not both, 

the singular verb is is correct. 

2. Either his pen or his books-lost, (is, are) 

Because this sentence means that either one pen is 

lost or two or more books are lost, the verb are agrees 
with the nearer subject books. 

(Right) Either Henry or I am going to Florida this winter. 
(Better) Either Henry is going to Florida this winter, or I am. 

Plural in Form But Singular in Idea 

Which are correct? 

1. The United States-refused to grant independence to the 

Philippines, (has, have) 


116 GRAMMAR IN ACTION 

Has is right, because the United States is one 
country. 

2. Tales of a Wayside Inn - a group of interesting stories 

told in turn by a number of persons gathered about the fireplace 
in the Inn. (is, are) 

Tales of a Wayside Inn is one book; hence is is cor¬ 
rect. 

3. Three-fourths of his time-wasted, (is, are) 

Is is right, because three-fourths is one part of his 
time. 

4. Five hundred dollars-offered for the car. (was, were) 

Five hundred dollars is one sum of money; hence 

was is correct. 

Each, Every, and Similar Words 

1. One of the girls is married. 

2. Neither of the sentences is correct. 

3. Every boy and girl was prepared. 

Each, every, either, neither, any one, anybody, every 
one, everybody, some one, somebody, no one, nobody, one, 
many a, and a person are singular. 

Collective Nouns 

Which are correct? 

1. The committee-handing in its report, (is, are) 

2. The committee --unable to agree on a chairman, (is, are) 

The collective noun committee is the name of a 
group. In sentence 1, because the group is thought of 
as a unit, the singular verb is is correct. In 2 the 
individuals are thought of; hence the plural verb are 
is required. 

Practice 20 

Choose the correct verb. What is the simple sub¬ 
ject? Show that the subject is singular or plural. 


FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


117 


1. Jane and I-ready a half hour ago. (was, were) 

2. A group of people-striving to have the law repealed. 

(is, are) 

3. Ralph and Harry-with us. (was, were) 

4. At present the United States-enough protection from 

an airplane attack, (hasn’t, haven’t) 

5. The number of cars used in the winter time-increased 

rapidly, (has, have) 

6. Only half of the people-the language, (understands, 

understand) 

7. In these factories a large number of children-employed. 

(is, are) 

8. The family- over the catalogue and - a big order 

for the winter, (goes, go) (prepares, prepare) 

9. The Japanese army at that time-mostly clad in armor, 

and its navy-junk, (was, were) (was, were) 

10. This church and others of the community-a great op¬ 

portunity for service, (has, have) 

11. Mercury or alcohol-used in a thermometer, (is, are) 

12. The salary and hours mentioned in the advertisement- 

satisfactory, (is, are) 

13. Mr. Lorry and his daughter-into the room, (comes, 

come) 

14. Mathematics- a difficult subject for some pupils, (is, 

are) 

15. English and history-the student a knowledge of his own 

language and country, (gives, give) 

16. The comma or semicolon-usually required between the 

members of a compound sentence, (is, are) 

17. The coffee, corn, and syrup-not been sent yet. (has, 

have) 

18. The English nobility-rural life, (likes, like) 

19. Each of them-one vote, (has, have) 

20. A butter dish and a flower vase - damaged, (was, 

were) 

21. Neither she nor you-in danger, (is, are) 

22. Neither Seward nor James-solved the problem, (has, 

have) 

23. In the refrigerator-the eggs, butter, poultry, and ba¬ 

con. (was, were) 

24. Either Jonson’s learned play or one of Shakespeare’s come¬ 
dies -being given, (is, are) 



118 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


25. In the first two lines a horse and man-compared, (is, 

are) 

26. There - a large four-poster bed, a few chairs, and a 

dresser in this room, (is, are) 

27. On the ship-a banker and a poet, (was, were) 

28. The board of education-recognized this fact and- 

installing motion-picture machines in the schools, (has, have) (is, 
are) 

29. The homework and attendance-checked, (was, were) 

30. Among these magazines - The Saturday Evening Post, 

Time, and The National Geographic, (is, are) 

31. James and I-about to go home, (was, were) 

32. Memory selections, punctuation rules, and spelling lists, 

not to mention other necessary material, -been added, (has, 

have) 

33. The people and the house —— saved, (was, were) 

34. At that time there-no mailmen or telephones, (was, 

were) 

35. -the customs of China, her civilization, and her standard 

of living equal to those of the average civilized country? (is, are) 

36. White and gray -house, (modifies, modify) 

37. How-your mother, father, and the boys? (is, are) 

38. Anybody wishing to-allowed to pick flowers, (is, are) 

39. Barbara and the housekeeper-left alone, (was, were) 

40. The designs and the blending of the color - exquisite. 

(is, are) 

41. In Wordsworth’s poems his imagination and love of nature 
-clearly shown, (is, are) 

42. When-Jane and her mother going? (is, are) 

43. The committee - appointed by the president, (was, 

were) 

44. The committee-about the date of the excursion, (dis¬ 

agree, disagrees) 

45. Neither Harold nor his brother-present, (was, were) 

46. The class-dismissed at twelve o’clock, (was, were) 

47. Poor Boys Who Became Famous -written by Sarah K. 

Bolton, (was, were) 

48. Eight dollars-too much for that pair of shoes, (is, are) 

49. Two-thirds of the framework-in place, (is, are) 

50. -Helen or George stand first in the class in American 

history? (do, does) 



FORMS AND USES OF VERBS 


119 


Practice 21 

Jot down errors you hear in the use of verbs, and 
bring them to class. Be ready to correct the sentences 
and to give a reason for each change. 

Summary 

1. A verb is transitive if it has an object or if the 
subject is acted upon. Other verbs are intransitive. 

2. A transitive verb is active if the subject acts. 
A verb in the active voice has an object. 

3. A transitive verb is passive if the subject is 
acted upon. 

4. Tense means time. The present tense is used 
for present time; the past tense, for past time; the 
future tense, for future time. The present perfect 
tense is used if the action is completed in the present 
time or extends, at least in its consequences, to the 
present; the past perfect, if the action was completed 
before some past time; and the future perfect, if the 
action will be completed at some point in future time. 

5. Mood is the way in which a verb makes a state¬ 
ment. The indicative mood is used in stating a fact or 
asking a question; the imperative, in commanding or 
requesting; and the subjunctive, in expressing a wish, 
a condition contrary to fact, and volition. 

6. Set, lay, and raise are transitive verbs. Sit, lie, 
and rise are intransitive. 

7. To express simple future time, use shall in the 
first person and will in the second and third. 

8. To express volition, use will in the first person 
and shall in the second and third. 

9. In first person questions use shall. In second 
and third person questions, use the form expected in 
the answer. 


120 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


10. Should is as a rule used like shall, and would like 
will. 

11. A verb agrees with its subject in number and 
person. 

You always takes a plural verb. 

A compound subject connected by and takes regu¬ 
larly a plural verb. 

A verb having a compound subject connected by or 
or nor agrees with the nearer subject. 

A name that is plural in form but refers to a single 
object or idea takes a singular verb. 

Each, every, either, neither, any one, anybody, every 
one, everybody, some one, somebody, no one, nobody, 
one, many a, and a person are singular. 

A collective noun takes a singular verb when the 
group is thought of as a unit and a plural verb when 
the individuals are thought of. 


CHAPTER IX 


SIMPLE SENTENCES CONTAINING 
PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND 
GERUNDS 

Forms of the verb that do not make statements, ask 
questions, or give commands, are called verbals. 
Verbals, like verbs that say, ask, and command, take 
objects and predicate nominatives and are modified by 
adverbs. 

The three classes of verbals are participles, infini¬ 
tives, and gerunds. 

Conjugation of to see Completed 

(For the indicative mood, the subjunctive mood, and the im¬ 
perative mood turn to page 97.) 

Infinitives 



Active 

Passive 

Present 

to see 

to be seen 

Past 

to have seen 

to have been seen 

Participles 

Present 

seeing 

being seen 

Past 

having seen 

seen, having been seen 

Gerunds 

Present 

seeing 

being seen 

Past 

having seen 

having been seen 


Conjugation of to be Completed 

Infinitives 

Present 

to be 


Past 

to have been 



Participles and Gerunds 

Present 

being 

• 

Past 

having been 



121 


122 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Synopsis of to call Completed 

Infinitives 



Active 

Passive 

Present 

to call 

to be called 

Past 

to have called 

to have been called 



Participles 

Present 

calling 

being called 

Past 

having called 

called, having been called 



Gerunds 

Present 

calling 

being called 

Past 

having called 

having been called 


Participle 

A participle is a form of the verb that is used as an 
adjective. The participle only names the action; it 
does not make a statement or ask a question. 

Analysis and Diagraming 

1. The Twentieth Century Limited, running from New York 
to Chicago, is the world’s fastest long-distance train, covering 976 
miles. 

Running is a participle from the verb run and is 
used as an adjective to modify the noun Twentieth 
Century Limited. Covering is a participle from the 
verb cover and is used as an adjective to modify the 
noun train. 

Twentieth Century Limited | is \ train Notice that as a 

verb running is mod- 
world’s ihed ky the adverb 

- 1 , phrases from New 

Lrhll York and to Chicago 

fastest and that as a verb 

long-distance covering has the 

-:-i—rr object miles. 

covering | miles 


The 

running 

from | New York 
to I Chicago 















PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 123 


2. In the streets there are peasants, speaking in loud, sharp 
voices. 

Speaking is a participle from the verb speak and as 
an adjective modifies the noun peasants. 

This is a simple declarative sentence. Peasants, 
speaking in loud, sharp voices is the complete subject; 
are in the streets is the complete predicate. There 
is an expletive. The noun peasants is the simple sub¬ 
ject, and the verb are is the simple predicate. Peas¬ 
ants is modified by the participle speaking; speaking 
is modified by the adverb prepositional phrase in loud, 
sharp voices, of which in is the preposition; voices, 
the object; and loud and sharp, adjectives modifying 
voices. Are is modified by the adverb prepositional 
phrase in the streets, of which in is the preposition; 
street, the object; and the, an adjective modifying 
street. 

3. Put your waste paper into the basket provided for that pur¬ 
pose. 

Provided is a participle from the verb provide and as 
an adjective modifies the noun basket. 


x 1 Put _I_ paper 


1 

into | basket 

your 


the 

waste 


provided 


for | purpose 
| that 


Practice 1 

Find every participle, and prove that it is a parti¬ 
ciple. Also diagram or analyze the sentences. 

1. The tourist caught in the rain on the road travels more 
slowly. 












124 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. The creek running along the farm has overflowed its banks. 

3. Having played baseball for three hours, Jim was tired. 

4. Did you pass the test prepared by the principal? 

5. Famed for its elk, buffalo, trout, natural caves, bottomless 
lake, needlelike rock formation, Custer Park offers high altitudes 
and cool breezes to the tourist. 

6. Yesterday Pelee sent streams of molten rock toward the sea, 
burning forests and turning the land to desert. 

7. The huge milk bottle, representing the first and best friend 
of the child, was chasing the coffeepot and the teapot, representing 
two of the worst enemies of child development. 

8. And four hundred dollars will easily cover all expenses from 
the Pacific Coast, including first-class, round-trip steamer fares and 
accommodations at one of the best hotels. 

9. Motor sleds propelled somewhat like a caterpillar tractor 
have been adopted in the mining fields of northern Ontario. (The 
adverb somewhat modifies the preposition like.) 

10. Throughout the school the objective set before the students 
is scholarship. 

11. Snow, rain, and sleet, accompanied by a high easterly wind, 
caused today damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars 
in various parts of New England. 

12. On the bleak hillsides of the half-mountainous region of 
Valley Forge, poorly clad, poorly fed, housed in log huts, the 
American army, constantly reduced by disease and death, suffered 
great hardships. 


Practice 2 

Making use of a participle in each sentence, build 
ten good sentences about books read, subjects studied, 
vacation, games, moving pictures, camping, hiking, 
travel, or work at home. (The ordinary pupil in 
grades seven to twelve uses only about half as many 
participles as the average adult.) 

Using Participles 

(Childish) I am not susceptible to seasickness, so I stayed on 
deck during the better part of the storm. 

(Better) Not being susceptible to seasickness, I stayed on 
deck the better part of the storm. 


PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 125 

(Childish) He was exiled from his native land, so he went to 
Paris to watch the French Revolution. 

(Better) Exiled from his native land, he went to Paris to 
watch the French Revolution. 

Practice 3 

In each of the following there are two statements. 
Improve each by substituting a participial phrase for 
one of the statements. 

1. A school of porpoises followed us for hours. They first 
gamboled on one side of the ship and then on the other. 

2. I was tired, so I went to bed early. 

3. George Young started out with fifty-two strokes to the 
minute. He later cut this to forty-five. 

4. He took with him a hand motion-picture camera. This was 
completely enclosed in a water-tight steel case. 

5. El Paso doubles its population every ten years in the midst 
of the deserts of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. The city is built 
on sand and sunshine and foreign trade. 

6. In the game the Yankees made fourteen hits. These in¬ 
cluded a home run by Lazzeri. 

7. Her long sleek black hair was admired by all. Her hair was 
plainly combed. 

8. She has reached the mature age of nineteen, so she is old 
enough to be a camp counselor this season. 

9. A muscle developer is attached to the wall of the gymnasium 
or private room. It is based on the principle of the bulldogging 
contests at the rodeo. 

10. Kipling traveled in America. He spent some time in San 
Francisco, then came slowly east. 

11. I bought this farm. I paid two thousand five hundred dol¬ 
lars down and assumed a mortgage for a like amount. 

12. Donald Beyer completed his course in electrical engineer¬ 
ing in Cornell University, so he began work with the General Elec¬ 
tric Company. 

13. He averaged fifteen hours a day at the wheel, and he totaled 
for the entire run one thousand five hundred miles. 

14. She had never felt any desire for education, so she had no 
ambition for her son. 

15. A tall man came into the room. He was dressed in rough 
working clothes. 


126 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Gerund 

A gerund is a form of the verb that is used as a noun. 
The gerund, like the participle, only names the action; 
it does not make a statement or ask a question. 

Analysis and Diagraming 

1. Seeing, the other man’s point of view is ,the straight and nar¬ 
row path to the salesman’s success. 

Seeing is a gerund, because it is a form of the verb 
see and is used as the subject of the verb is. 

Seeing | point 


When the subject, ob¬ 
ject of the verb, or predi¬ 
cate nominative is a phrase 
or a clause, it is placed on 
a platform as indicated in 
the diagram. 


narrow 
to | success 

| salesman’s 
| the 

2. The Yankees won the second contest today after losing the 
first. 

Losing is a gerund, because it is a form of the verb 
lose and is used as the object of the preposition after. 
Yankees | won | contest 


1 

The 

today 

the 


after | losing | first 

second 


person’s 
the 
other 
of | view 

| is \ path 
the 

straight 

and 

























PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 127 


Practice 4 

Find every gerund, and prove that it is a gerund. 
Also diagram or analyze the sentences. 

1. The motor truck is used for hauling goods between the 
small towns. 

2. This coupon will prove a convenient means of renewing your 
subscription. 

3. Her choice of a smaller camp will give her the opportunity 
of studying camping methods. 

4. Brooklyn ended a four-game winning streak of New York 
by defeating the Giants today. 

5. The Column affords a short cut to the fine art of writing 
a funny column for the newspapers. 

6. Gehrig gives promise of becoming the popular hero of the 
Yankee stadium. 

7. Much interest will also center around the vote for the financ¬ 
ing of the plans for a new auditorium and gymnasium. 

8. In rolling up the total, Washington Junior High captured 
only one first place. 

9. Many boys and a few girls have found much pleasure in 
training their dogs and in taking part in the races. 

10. The folders are very helpful in shaping our plans for the 
summer. 

Case 

Which form is preferable? 

I can’t count on-helping me out very often, (his, him) 

His is preferable; it modifies the gerund helping. 

Practice 5 

Select the correct pronoun according to the best 
usage, and tell how each is used: 

1. I haven’t heard about-coming, (his, him) 

2. The fountain pen may be carried in the pocket without any 

danger of-leaking, (it, its) 

3. Instead of-flying the kite for fun, they flew it to study 

electricity, (their, them) 

4. Seldom a day passes without - giving some attention 



128 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


to forming good speech and writing habits and breaking bad ones, 
(me, my) 

5. They missed the assignment on account of-being late. 

(their, them) 

6. He objected to-going, (me, my) 

7. Think of-being elected president, (his, him) 

8. We were surprised at-winning the essay prize, (his, him) 

9. Father will be delighted to hear of -trying for a place 

on the school paper, (me, my) 

Infinitive 

An infinitive is a verb form with to used as a noun, 
an adjective, or an adverb. To is commonly omitted 
after bid, dare, need, see, make, let, hear, please, feel, 
help, and sometimes after a few other verbs. 

You need not go. ' 

I heard him sing: 

Please come to the meeting. 

Analysis and Diagraming 

1. It was easy to see the reason for his popularity. 

To see is an infinitive, because it is a verb form with 
to and is used as a noun in apposition with the subject 
it. 


to seel reason 




the 



for | popularity 


| his 

It- 

| was \ easy 


2. The wee Japanese miss left her home in Tokio to come to 
this country for an advanced education. 

To come is an infinitive, because it is a verb form 
with to and as an adverb modifies the verb left. 







PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 129 


miss | left _ J _ home 


1 

The 

to come 

her 

wee 


to | country 

in | Tokio 

Japanese 


| this 




for | education 



an 

advanced 


Practice 6 

Find every infinitive, and prove that it is an in¬ 
finitive. Also diagram or analyze the sentences. 

1. You will not want to miss the August number. 

2. I like to know wide-awake, intelligent, upright men. 

3. He couldn’t spare the time to read about them. 

4. How would you like to meet a shark? 

5. Sea horses use the tail to anchor themselves to seaweeds. 

6. To make one pound of honey, bees must visit between one 
hundred thousand and two hundred thousand flowers. 

7. It’s a treat to talk with him. 

8. For several minutes I just stood there, unable to move. 

9. The fish of the country have every right to set aside a day 
of thanksgiving for the present campaign in favor of fish-hooks 
without barbs. 

10. To say the fitting thing in acknowledgment of a favor is 
something of a tax on the conversational powers of most people. 

11. The ancient Greeks were unable to find any trace of the 
origin of eels. 

12. To see a first-class circus is to get some real thrills. 

13. Harold baked bread to earn money to pay his expenses in 
school. 

Practice 7 

Using an infinitive in each, build six good sentences 
in which you explain how to do, make, or build some¬ 
thing, how to care for something, how to reach a place, 
or how to avoid making grammatical errors. Using a 
gerund in each, build four more sentences. 


















130 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 8 

Find the participles, infinitives, and gerunds in 
these sentences, and give the syntax of each (explain 
its use in the sentence): 


Model for Written Work 


Having sat down under a tree to rest, we enjoyed watching a 
woodpecker at work. 


Element 

having sat 
to rest 
watching 


Name 

participle 

infinitive 

gerund 


Construction 
or Use 
modifier 
modifier 
object 


Relation 
of we 

of having sat 
of enjoyed 


1. In cutting meat, a child should learn not to scrape the back 
of the fork prongs with the cutting edge of the knife. 

2. I feel fortunate in being able to know them. 

3. A Curtiss airplane, flying from Garden City to Newport, 
was wrecked near here tonight. 

4. Forced to descend to Long Island Sound, the aviator had 
the good luck of being picked up by some friends in a motor boat. 

5. I remembered ferrying across the Missouri River in a crude 
ferry made out of flat-bottomed boats tied together, propelled by 
paddle-wheels turned by old automobile motors. 

6. Having hovered over the north pole, one of Byrd’s dearest 
ambitions is to find the opposite end of the globe. 

7. The Walt Whitman schoolhouse, bid in at eighteen dollars, 
is to be scrapped. 

8. Really to enjoy camp life, one must acquire the art of en¬ 
joying pioneer life. 

9. He sailed shortly before Christmas to spend four months in 
the coast waters of Hayti, and took with him a hand motion-picture 
camera, to take movies of the fish among the brilliant coral reefs of 
the tropics. 

10. Loss of power due to slowing down of the centre engine 
caused the accident. 

11. Having reached the top of the pass, Lassiter tried to roll 
the Balancing Rock down the side of the mountain. 

12. Sitting in front of the fireplace on a severely cold February 
evening, Abraham Lincoln told a good story to amuse his comrades. 


PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 131 


Punctuation 

Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Phrases 

Nonrestrictive phrases are set off by commas. 
Restrictive phrases answer the question, “ Which 
one? ” or the question, “ Which ones? ” 

1. George Washington, having completed his second term as 
president, retired to Mount Vernon. 

Commas are needed. The participial phrase is 
nonrestrictive, because it does not answer the ques¬ 
tion, “ Which George Washington? ” 

2. A president completing his second term may wish to retire. 

No commas are needed. The participial phrase is 

restrictive, because it answers the question, “ Which 
president? ” 

3. Bob Williams, standing by the window, gave his report. 

Commas are needed. The participial phrase is non¬ 
restrictive, because it does not answer the question, 
“ Which Bob Williams? ” 

4. The boy standing by the window gave his report. 

No commas are needed. The participial phrase is 
restrictive, because it answers the question, “ Which 
boy? w 

As a rule a participial phrase at the beginning of a 
sentence is nonrestrictive and is therefore set off from 
the rest of the sentence by a comma. 

5. Having studied her Latin and English, Molly went out for a 
game of tennis. 

6. Dressed in their steel armor with their great swords and 
spears and mounted on their strong horses, they were a wonderful 
sight. 

Practice 9 

Punctuate the following sentences. Prove that each 
participial phrase is restrictive or nonrestrictive. 


132 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


1. Led by their strong prince they had crossed the river. 

2. Looking toward the summit of the mountain Marie saw her 
father and brother. 

3. In September 1927 Miss Woo entered Wellesley College 
completing her freshmen year in the following June. 

4. Maurice Hammond was selected to teach science in the Penn 
Yan Academy during the school year commencing in September. 

5. At two o’clock one morning pacing his father’s library he 
clutches at a musty volume. 

6. The Green was especially strong in the relay races finishing 
well up in front in every team race. 

7. He walked across the clubroom smiling poised. 

8. The Newark quartet turned in the fastest time for the event 
made in any of the interscholastic meets this season speeding over 
the boards in 3:33 4/5. 

9. Marie Poland Fish hatched the eel’s eggs thereby solving a 
two-thousand-year-old mystery. 

10. Denmark known as a land of gardens has also a desert. 

11. He held in his hand a cluster of wire kitchen goods neatly 
made and shining coppery in the sun. 

12. We may some day see a New York City extending up the 
Hudson to the very gates of Bear Mountain Park. 

13. At Raabjerg the sand moves in mountainous drifts driving 
vegetation before it. 

14. Rising from the runway at Oakland airport we headed across 
San Francisco Bay in the direction of the Golden Gate. 

15. All planes entered must be made and operated by the con¬ 
testants. 

16. Kneeling upon some large flat rocks along the bank of the 
stream several women are busily washing clothes alternately rinsing 
them and then soaping and rubbing them against the rock. 

Absolute Construction 

The absolute construction, a noun (or pronoun) and 
a participle used loosely as an adverb modifier, is 
always set off from the rest of the sentence by commas. 

1. The weather being unpleasant, we remained indoors all day. 

2. Sims fared poorly in the final heat, Lakow of Eastern taking 
his measure. 

3. Rin-Tin-Tin pops up again, this time in a picture called “ The 


PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 133 


Hills of Kentucky ” (Sometimes the participle being of the absolute 
construction is omitted.) 

The italicized absolute constructions have no gram¬ 
matical connection with the rest of the sentences and 
are set off by commas. 

Pkactice 10 

Punctuate the following sentences. Underscore the 
absolute constructions. 

1. The game was halted by rain in the ninth the score reverting 
to the eighth inning. 

2. He turned to her curiosity and admiration mingling in his 
smile. 

3. Our work finished we went to the pool for a swim. 

4. During the visit there Roosevelt and Burroughs named over 
seventy-five species of birds and fowl Roosevelt knowing all of them 
but two and Burroughs knowing all but two. 

5. On our return trip Roosevelt’s secretary being on the train 
Roosevelt threw himself into the dictation of many letters the wrens 
and the warblers already sidetracked by public business. 

6. Then motorcycle cops ahead and behind they buzzed back to 
the hotel in a Lincoln. 

7. Below and behind us we could see the blue-gray water of San 
Francisco Bay the islands no larger than small hillocks. 

8. We had not thought of food our whole attention being con¬ 
centrated on the job in hand. 

Tense 

Which are correct? 

1. I wanted-it. (to do, to have done) 

2. -only a part of the goods ordered, I am calling your atten¬ 

tion to the omissions, (receiving, having received) 

To decide what tense of the infinitive or participle 
to use, ask yourself the question, “ Did the action 
of the infinitive or participle occur before that of the 
main verb? ” If the answer is “Yes,” use the past 
tense of the infinitive or participle; if “No,” the 
present tense. 


134 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


In 1 did the doing happen prior to the wantingf 
No. Hence the present tense to do is correct. In 2 did 
the receiving occur before the calling ? Yes. Hence 
the past tense having received is right. 

Practice 11 

Which form is correct? Why? 

1. -your advertisement in this morning’s Times, I wish to 

apply for the position, (seeing, having seen) 

2. It would have been better-the work promptly, (to do, 

to have done) 

3. I was very glad-you last Wednesday, (to meet, to have 

met) 

4. - you will find an order blank for your convenience. 

(inclose, inclosed) 

5. Not-a reply to my letter of April 28,1 am writing again 

and repeating the substance of my former letter, (receiving, having 
received) 

6. I should have liked-my vacation in Maine, (to spend, 

to have spent) 

7. -the championship of the city, the team elected Kelley 

captain, (winning, having won) 

8. I fully expected - Captains Courageous, (to read, to 

have read) 

9. Foch intended -- at daybreak, (to advance, to have 

advanced) 

10. I planned-him in August, (to see, to have seen) 

Dangling Phrases 

(Confusing) Going upstairs, in the corner is a grandfather’s 
clock. 

Going seems to modify clock , but the clock isn’t 
going upstairs. The corner isn’t going upstairs. What 
is going upstairsf What does going modify? We have 
to guess, because the writer did not say exactly what 
he meant. 

(Right) In the corner of the stairs is a grandfather’s clock. 

. If a participle dangles because there is no word to 


PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 135 


which it is firmly attached, we may get rid of the 
participle, place it near the word it modifies, or put 
into the sentence some word for it to modify. 

(Confusing) The.farm dog sat with his parched tongue hanging 
from his mouth feebly wagging his tail. 

This sentence seems to say that the dog’s mouth 
was wagging his tail. Of course, the reader can guess 
the meaning. By placing wagging near dog, the noun it 
modifies, the writer would make it easy to understand 
the sentence. 

(Right) The farm dog, feebly wagging his tail, sat with his 
parched tongue hanging from his mouth. 

(Confusing) Rushing out of the house, the airplane could be 
seen overhead.. 

No, the airplane did not rush out of the house. 
Rushing does not modify airplane. 

(Right) Rushing out of the house, we saw an airplane. 

(Confusing) At the age of twelve his grandfather died. 

(Right) When George was twelve,’his grandfather died. 

An infinitive, a gerund, or a prepositional phrase 
at the beginning of a sentence should relate in thought 
to the subject. 

Practice 12 

Improve the following, and give the syntax of each 
participle used: 

1. Walking down the street, snow-capped mountains can be 
seen. 

2. Upon entering New York Harbor the Statue of Liberty 
greets the immigrants. 

3. Returning home on the top of the coach, the full moon 
would appear and reappear, but was generally under a cloud. 

4. Standing on the ferryboat, many skyscrapers can be seen. 

5. After rushing about looking for a stick, fully ten more snakes 
had come out. 

6. After riding a short time a terrible thunderstorm came up. 


136 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


7. Born in New England and having lived there all his life, 
his poems picture that part of the country. 

8. Having boarded the Leviathan at eleven o’clock in the morn¬ 
ing, it sailed punctually at noon. 

9. Driving down Broadway one day, a traffic policeman stopped 
me. 

10. Turning my head in the direction of the noise, it stopped. 

11. Having worked in the editorial rooms of one of the New 
York papers, the book appealed to me. 

12. I should like to have your estimate on a garage for a single 
car built of stucco on hollow tile with a red roof. 

13. Looking at it from the train, it seems a very high mountain. 

14. The poet tells of the faces seen walking up and down Broad¬ 
way. 

15. After moving out here from the city the schools were very 
different. 

16. Sitting idly by a brook one afternoon, his conscience began 
to prick him. 

17. In applying for a position an employer would naturally 
select a neat and careful applicant. 

18. After thoroughly enjoying our dinner our automobile was 
driven to the door. 

19. At the age of five Emory’s father died. 

20. Having prepared my grammar lesson, a friend came in. 

Practice 13 

In a composition on the Duke of York’s preparation 
to meet King Neptune or some initiation, ceremony, 
or stunt that you know about, use as many participles 
as are necessary to make the structure and sound of 
your sentences pleasing. For example, the sentence, 
“ When the Duke of York had passed all his tests, he 
received a certificate which told the sea serpents, 
skates, pollywogs, and sharks of the new member of 
the Royal Order of the Deep,” may be changed to, 
“ Having passed all his tests, the Duke of York re¬ 
ceived a certificate, telling the sea serpents, skates, 
pollywogs, and sharks of the new member of the 
Royal Order of the Deep.” 


PARTICIPLES, INFINITIVES, AND GERUNDS 137 



Copyright by Underwood & Underwood 
The Duke of York Prepares to Meet King Neptune 





138 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Draw one line under every participle and two lines 
under the noun or pronoun each participle modifies. 
If a participle dangles, rewrite the sentence. 

Summary 

1. Verbals are forms of the verb that do not make 
statements, ask questions, or give commands. The 
three classes of verbals are participles, infinitives, and 
gerunds. 

2. A participle is a form of the verb that is used as 
an adjective. 

3. A gerund is a form of the verb that is used as a 
noun. 

4. An infinitive is a verb form with to used as a 
noun, an adjective, or an adverb. 

5. Nonrestrictive phrases are set off by commas. 

6. The absolute construction, a noun (or pronoun) 
and a participle used loosely as an adverb modifier, is 
always set off from the rest of the sentence by commas. 

7. The past infinitive and past participle are used 
if the action of the infinitive or participle occurs before 
that of the main verb; otherwise the present infinitive 
and present participle are used. 

8. Put the participle close to the word modified. 
An infinitive, a gerund, or a prepositional phrase at 
the beginning of a sentence should relate in thought 
to the subject. 


CHAPTER X 


CORRECTION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 

Syntactical Redundance 

Syntactical redundance — that is a hard name for 
a childish mistake. Redundance means excess; syn¬ 
tactical means according to the rules of syntax. Hence 
syntactical redundance is using two words to do the 
same grammatical job or using words that do no use¬ 
ful work in the sentence. Sometimes, for example, a 
pronoun and its antecedent are wrongly used as 
subject of the same verb. 

(Wrong) The squire he went to Bristol to get a ship. 

(Right) The squire went to Bristol to get a ship. 

(Wrong) A man doing his best he is sure to succeed. 

(Right) A man doing his best is sure to succeed. 

He is omitted, because it has no work to do in the 
sentence. Squire is the subject of went; man , of is. 

Occasionally a preposition is carelessly repeated, 
has no object, has no work to do in the sentence. 

(Wrong) To what class of people does your magazine appeal to? 

This sentence should look about as queer to you as a 
lion would if he had an extra head on the end of his 
tail. 

(Right) To what class of people does your magazine appeal? 

Often a preposition is needlessly inserted. 

(Wrong) Our day of Open School Week is on Tuesday, Novem¬ 
ber 17. 

(Right) Our day of Open School Week is Tuesday, Novem¬ 
ber 17. 


139 


140 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Tuesday is the predicate nominative of the verb is; 
on is not needed. 

(Wrong) A stenographer meets with intelligent people. 

(Right) A stenographer meets intelligent people. 

People is the object of meets; with is not needed. 

Pkactice 1 

Correct the following sentences. Show that each 
word omitted has no work to do in the sentence. 

1. My mother and I we left at once. 

2. The knight he was riding fast. 

3. The prince he was angry. 

4. The cause of my absence was on account of sickness. 

5. The carbon paper is placed in between the two sheets of 
paper. 

6. I remember of hearing him make the statement. 

7. The average young man he doesn’t like to start at the bot¬ 
tom of the ladder. 

8. Jim Hawkins he turned just in time. 

9. I forgot to mention about the pitch of your voice. 

10. The little girl fell off of the porch. 

11. The Normans having conquered England they ruled the 
country. 

12. To what point do you wish to call his attention to? 

13. The teacher stressed upon the important facts. 

14. Cedric and Rowena they were going through the woods. 

15. His father he couldn’t pay for the ship. 

16. She discussed about Judy’s education with the trustees. 

17. The reason for his nervousness is due to his thinking about 
himself. 

18. Where are you going to? 

19. I should like to sit opposite to you at the table. 

20. My mother wants for me to study Latin. 

21. In what airplane did Lindbergh fly to Paris in? 

22. Sherlock Holmes was called to investigate upon the case. 

Omission 

Subjects, verbs, objects, and prepositions gram¬ 
matically necessary are sometimes omitted. 


CORRECTION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 141 


(Wrong) By placing a period after each sentence makes the com¬ 
position easier to read. 

The verb makes has no subject. We need to insert 
one. 

(Right) Placing a period after each sentence makes the compo¬ 
sition easier to read. 

(Wrong) Hoping to hear from you about this matter. 

There is no subject. Hoping is a participle, not a 
verb form that makes a statement. To express the 
idea in a correct sentence, we need to insert a subject 
and use a form of the verb that makes a statement. 

(Right) I hope to hear from you about this matter. 

Sometimes useful verbs are omitted. 

(Colloquial) I never have, and never will, understand chess. 

(Better) I never have understood, and never will understand, 
chess. 

If it were correct to say I never have understand, the 
first sentence would be correct literary English. 

Which are right? 

1. I have-and spoken with him. (seen, seen him) 

Seen him is correct because seen needs an object. 

2. I-public school, (graduated, graduated from, was grad¬ 

uated from) 

Graduated from and was graduated from are correct. 
Graduate in this sense does not take an object; one 
does not “ graduate a school.” 

Practice 2 

Supply the needed word or words. Prove that the 
word or expression added is grammatically needed. 

1. I admire Lincoln’s love and kindness to the people of the 
Country. 

2. Namgay Doola’s appearance was different from the rest of 
the people. 

3. Thanking you for the trouble you went through for me. 


142 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


4. His years of study beginning upon his return to England from 
Italy. 

5. An old man needs some one to care for and help him. 

6. The tires are of sound material and has a comfortable seat 
and the best coaster brake that can be put on a bicycle. 

7. The history of motor tests in New York covers but a few 
years and are not given in the northern part of the state. 

8. The name of the play is Stop Thief and will be held in the 
school auditorium on Thursday evening, May 14. 

9. Hoping to see you at the meeting of the Dramatic Club on 
Tuesday afternoon. 

10. The name of the book is The Prince and the Pauper and was 
written by Mark Twain. 

11. Their noses were round like a ball, and had very small round 
mouths. 

12. I expect to graduate the Roosevelt High School. 

Misplaced Modifier 

One day they went hunting in a large forest in the 
month of May. 

One day in the month of May they went hunting in a 
large forest. 

He can now use the money formerly spent for drink 
for life insurance. 

He can now use for life insurance the money formerly 
spent for drink. 

The money formerly spent for drink he can now use 
for life insurance. 

For life insurance tells how he can use the money, 
modifies can use , and should therefore be near the 
verb. 

(Colloquial) The handbook only costs twenty-five cents. 

(Right) The handbook costs only twenty-five cents. 

Only modifies twenty-five and should be placed near 
it. 

Practice 3 

Improve the following sentences by placing modi¬ 
fiers close to the words modified. If you change 


(Wrong) 

(Right) 

(Wrong) 

(Right) 

(Right) 


CORRECTION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 143 

the position of a word or phrase, tell what it modi¬ 
fies. 

1. William’s store wants girls to sew on buttons on the second 
floor. 

2. The result might be a good licking for getting our clothes 
wet from our parents. 

3. Eastern High School publishes a magazine three times a 
term called The Lantern. 

4. You need not get up for that iceman with a Frigidaire. 

5. I missed the two first lessons. 

6. I can only stay one night this week. 

7. My horse soon grew tired galloping and started to trot much 
to my relief. 

8. Wendy has a dog for a nurse by the name of Nina. 

9. I was even too scared to move. 

10. My uncle took a few at a time in his car home. 

11. I have only received part of the goods ordered. 

12. The biggest news of the week was the Yale-Harvard foot¬ 
ball game according to my way of thinking." 

13. The dictionary only costs two dollars. 

14. The poetry quoted above by William Shakespeare is my 
favorite memory selection. 

15. Now the magazine introduces a new writer to its readers by 
the name of Roger Burlingame. 

16. The poor boy can attain as much success as the well-to-do 
boy even with all his handicaps. 

17. Near by sat a man playing cards with a red necktie. 

18. A fair maiden is trying in vain to protect her new spring 
bonnet from an unmerciful April shower with a piece of newspaper. 

19. The teacher read several sentences at the beginning of the 
period containing similar errors. 

20. On October 17,1 lost a man’s silk umbrella with a black ivory 
handle on a Jackson Avenue car at 8:15 in the morning. 

Misplaced Correlative Conjunctions 

(Wrong) He neither succeeded in athletics nor scholarship. 

(Right) He succeeded in neither athletics nor scholarship. 

Neither . . . nor are correlative conjunctions con¬ 
necting athletics and scholarship. The conjunctions 
should be placed just before the words connected. 


144 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 4 

Correct these sentences. What are the correlative 
conjunctions in each sentence? What words do they 
connect? 

1. He neither succeeded as a clerk nor as a mechanic. 

2. The president’s policy is capable neither of good nor ill. 

3. A salesman must not know only his own line but also the 
goods of his competitors. 

4. Every hour of the day we are intimately associated either 
with coal itself or one of its by-products. 

5. The book not only increases one’s knowledge of birds but also 
of reptiles, insects, and mammals. 

6. The Outlook is not only valuable to the pupil in English but 
also in history. 

Parallel Structure 

As a rule, and § and but connect like grammatical 
elements; for example, two nouns, two predicates, 
two adjectives, two adverbs, two prepositional phrases, 
two infinitive phrases, or two participial phrases. 

(Wrong) The room was small and with practically no furniture. 

(Right) The room was small and had practically no furniture. 

In the incorrect sentence, and connects the predicate 
was small and the prepositional phrase with practically 
no furniture. In the correct sentence, and connects the 
predicate was small and the predicate had practically 
no furniture. 

(Wrong) I retired without any dinner and feeling miserable. 

(Right) Without any dinner I retired feeling miserable. 

In the wrong sentence and connects the prepositional 
phrase without any dinner and the participial phrase 
feeling miserable. In the right sentence there is no and. 

(Wrong) The boys planned to ride the pony and other sporting 
things. 

(Right) The boys planned to ride the pony and to enjoy other 
sports. 


CORRECTION OF SIMPLE SENTENCES 145 


In the wrong sentence and connects the infinitive to 
ride and the noun things. In the right sentence and 
connects the infinitive to ride and the infinitive to enjoy. 

Practice 5 

Explain just what the error in each sentence is, and 
correct the sentence. Prove that every and and but 
used connects like grammatical elements. 

1. Abraham Lincoln was tall, brown hair, a small beard, and 
a few wrinkles on his forehead and cheeks. 

2. Strangers were entertained in Greece by having wine and 
meat set before them and to have the best minstrel in the country 
play for them. 

3. Doola was of Irish stock, red hair, and very blue eyes. 

4. Dunstan deserved the death he met, because he was untruth¬ 
ful, dishonest, and a drunkard. 

5. Egeus is stern, wishes to be obeyed, and quick-tempered. 

6. Many people consider being able to talk and be at ease in 
conversation an important part of their education. 

7. I enjoy a long walk and then to lie down beside a brook. 

8. Gallegher was a boy of little education, of poor parents, 
and striving for a position in the office of a New York paper. 

9. The study of English enlarges one’s vocabulary and one’s 
understanding of business matters and in reading good literature 
and poetry. 

10. Buck smashed the pumpkin open by hitting his head against 
it and eating the pieces. 

11. Every student should learn self-control and to be courteous. 

12. The screen spreads the sand on each side of the wheel and 
thus preventing the car from skidding. 

Summary 

1. Do not use a pronoun and its antecedent as 
subject of the same verb. 

2. Cross out unnecessary prepositions. 

3. Do not omit a necessary subject, verb, object, or 
preposition. 

4. Place modifiers near the words modified if clear¬ 
ness requires this arrangement. 


146 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


5. Correlative conjunctions should be placed just 
before the words they connect. 

6. As a rule and and but connect like grammatical 
elements; for example, two nouns, two adverbs, two 
prepositional phrases, or two infinitives. 


CHAPTER XI 


COMPOUND SENTENCES 

How to Recognize Compound Sentences 

A compound sentence is made up of two or more 
simple sentences. Commonly a conjunction is used 
to join the simple sentences. Simple sentences joined 
to form a compound sentence are called independent 
clauses. 

A clause is a part of a sentence that has a subject and 
a predicate. 

Which of these sentences is compound? Which is 
made up of two or more simple sentences joined by a 
conjunction? 

1. Molly studies algebra. 

2. Molly and George study algebra. 

3. Molly and George study algebra and English. 

4. Molly and George study and enjoy algebra and English. 

5. Molly likes algebra, but George prefers English. 

Number 5 is the only compound sentence. Sen¬ 
tences 1, 2, 3, and 4 are simple, because each has one 
subject and one predicate. The subject of the second 
is compound; the subject and the object of the third 
are compound. Number 4 has a compound subject, 
a compound verb, and a compound object, but is not 
made up of two simple sentences. 


Molly 

study 

algebra 

and 

1 

and 

1 

and 

George 

1 

enjoy 


English 


147 


















148 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 1 

Which two sentences are compound? Which two 
are simple sentences with compound subjects? Which 
two simple sentences have compound predicates? 
Which two have compound objects? Which have 
compound subjects and compound predicates? 

1. Grandfather glanced around the circle of absorbed faces, 
and in his eye twinkled consent. 

2. Walter had no horse, ox, or mule. 

3. Before breakfast Charles and George fed the horses and 
carried wood into the kitchen. 

4. The men wear blue smocks, brown trousers, and little 
misshapen caps. 

5. Harvey and his two sisters are playing golf. 

6. Walter owned a wooden plow with an iron point but had no 
horse to pull it. 

7. His tangled beard was yellow, and his matted hair fell down 
to his shoulders. 

8. The Reesers and the Dunns drove to San Francisco and then 
sailed for Japan. 

9. The Green Mountains and the White Mountains are in New 
England. 

10. The women are bareheaded and wear large full skirts. 


Analysis and Diagraming 

1. Now the sun is out of sight, and the light is fading. 


sun 

is 


! 

the j 


Now 



out of | sight 

: and 


light 

I 

is fading 


the 


The dotted line shows that 
the two independent clauses 
are grammatically connected. 
The preposition out of is two 
words. 


2. The sleepy Hessians were aroused from their beds, but it was 
too late. 












COMPOUND SENTENCES 


149 


Hessians 

were aroused 


The 

! 

from | beds 


sleepy 


| their 



but 



it | was \ late 


too 


To diagram a com¬ 
pound sentence, find 
the simple sentences, 
diagram them, and 
place the conjunction 
on a dotted line be¬ 
tween them. 


3. They were mounted on big horses, and each had a shield and 
a spear. 

This is a compound sentence consisting of two 
coordinate clauses joined by the conjunction and: 
(1) they were mounted on big horses and (2) each had a 
shield and a spear. 

The subject of the first clause is the pronoun they; 
the complete predicate is were mounted on big horses. 
The simple predicate is the verb were mounted. Were 
mounted is modified by the adverb phrase on big 
horses, in which on is the preposition; horses, the 
object; and big an adjective modifying horses. 

The subject of the second clause is the pronoun 
each; the complete predicate is had a shield and a 
spear. The simple predicate is the verb had, which is 
completed by the two objects shield and spear, joined 
by the conjunction and to make a compound object. 
Shield is modified by the adjective a; and spear, 
by the adjective a. 

Practice 2 

Diagram or analyze these sentences: 

1. It was rough work and many of them got bruises and bumps. 

2. Walter, the father of Ernest, was a tall man, but his back 
was bent by hard labor. 

3. His shirt was patched, and he fastened it about his waist 
with a piece of rope. 













150 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


4. These fields would seem very small to us, but in those days 
people did not have any machines. 

5. Houses, barns, and mills were left in ashes, and their owners 
reduced to poverty. 

6. Then I married, and we started life with about two thousand 
dollars in the bank. 

7. Action is plentiful, and the book is informative. 

8. The doors slid aside, and a group of doctors walked in. 

9. The three Polos looked like beggars; but into their rugs 
was sewn amazing wealth in rubies, carbuncles, sapphires, diamonds, 
emeralds, pearls, and other precious stones. 

10. The lion’s haunts are constantly being claimed by civiliza¬ 
tion, and its members are rapidly decreasing. 

Punctuation 

Notice the punctuation: 

1. A slippery, fumbled football was scooped up by Sam White, 
and without slackening in his stride he tore down the field for the 
winning touchdown. 

2. In appearance the shearer is not much different from any 
other working man, but his life is quite different. 

3. To a stranger it is a thing of everlasting interest to watch 
the natives dive for coins, while to the boys it is but another easy 
way to glean coppers from the pocket of the visitor. • 

In sentences 1, 2, and 3 the conjunctions and, but, 
and while join the clauses of the compound sentences, 
and commas precede the conjunctions. As a rule a 
comma is used between the principal parts of a com¬ 
pound sentence if they are joined by a conjunction 
(and, but, or, nor, so, yet, while, though). 

4. Charles Ray is the young man with brass buttons, tin hat; 
and May McAvoy, as the pleasing heroine, marries him in a smoky 
fade-out. 

In sentence 4, because the clauses are long and are 
subdivided by commas, a semicolon precedes the con¬ 
junction. 

5. George Thompson was elected president of the Chess Club; 
Will Durant, secretary; and Arnold Mosely, treasurer. 


COMPOUND SENTENCES 


151 


In sentence 5 the commas take the place of the 
omitted verbs, and semicolons are used between the 
clauses. 

6. Kipling built a house near Brattleboro, Vermont, and there 
his first child, Josephine, was born. 

Sentence 6 is like sentence 4; there are commas 
within the clauses. Yet because the clauses are some¬ 
what shorter, a comma is used between them. In^fehis 
sentence either a comma or a semicolon is correct. 
Usage varies. 

7. Instantly the tumult started; the men yelled and beat upon 
tom-toms and trees. 

8. Some pupils are not eager to improve their speech and 
writing; indeed they are satisfied with both their English and 
themselves. 

Semicolons are needed in 7 and 8, because there are 
no conjunctions between the clauses. Indeed is an 
independent adverb. Other independent adverbs used 
between clauses are moreover, consequently, thus, hence, 
therefore, besides, also, then, nevertheless, still, otherwise, 
and likewise. 

The important rules are: 

1. If there is a conjunction between the clauses, use 
a comma. 

2. If there is no conjunction, use a semicolon. 

Practice 3 

In each sentence what are the independent clauses? 
Is there a connecting word between the clauses? If so, 
is it a conjunction or an independent adverb? Punc¬ 
tuate the sentence, and give a reason for each mark 
inserted. 

1. His tangled hair was turning white and he had a long rough 
beard. 


152 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. An antler is of solid bone throughout growing from the skull 
it is shed every year close to the skull and quickly renewed. 

3. She was thin and somewhat angular but her face bore all 
the indications of nobility of soul and a cheerful disposition. 

4. Pitch your voice low a high voice is likely to become un¬ 
pleasant. 

5. Some are satisfied with their work during the past term most 
of us however are not. 

6. Rabbit and Possum each wanted a wife but no one would 
marry either of them. 

Y. Epinard sets his own pace outguesses other horses and jock¬ 
eys and his favorite trick is to come flashing up from behind in the 
last lap. 

8. Orang-utans usually live in colonies numbering from forty 
to sixty and the largest and most powerful is chief. 

9. Behind these came other representations of the foods that 
are good for the health of children they included Pat Spinach 
Charlie Carrot Humpty-Dumpty Eggs and all the best fruits. 

10. Memorizing is play thinking is real work. 

11. The little romance interwoven in Captain Blood makes it 
delightful for girl readers while the fights and thrills make it a boy’s 
book. 

12. Talk fishing and you hit me in my weak spot. 

13. On account of extremely dry weather prevailing in Japan 
rice transplanting operations have been delayed and fear is expressed 
as to this year’s crop. 

14. There is an increasing amount of motor camping in the East 
but to view this new manner of touring in all its democratic care¬ 
free glory you should go west of the Mississippi River. 

15. Bagdad makes nothing itself but trades with the four corners 
of the earth it trades in wool from Mosul and the Persian tribes in 
gum arabic dropped from the trees of Arabia in rugs from Turkestan 
and in ponies destined for polo in India. 

Summary 

1. A compound sentence is two or more simple 
sentences joined commonly by a conjunction. 

2. The simple sentences joined to form a compound 
sentence are called independent clauses. 

3. A clause is a part of a sentence that has a subject 
and a predicate. 


COMPOUND SENTENCES 


153 


4. The important punctuation rules are: 

a. If there is a conjunction between the independ¬ 
ent clauses, use a comma. 

b. If there is no conjunction, use a semicolon. 


CHAPTER XII 


COMPLEX SENTENCES CONTAINING 
ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 

Relative Pronoun 

Subordinate means of lower rank. A subordinate 
clause is used like a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. 
A complex sentence has one independent clause and 
one or more subordinate clauses. 

1. The boy who raises the best chickens will be given a prize. 

The relative pronoun who connects the subordinate 
clause who raises the best chickens with the noun boy. 
Who is used instead of boy as the subject of raises. 
Boy is the antecedent of who. 

2. The lake which we crossed was a mile wide. 

The relative pronoun which connects the subordi¬ 
nate clause which we crossed with the noun lake. Lake 
is the antecedent of which. 

3. He is the best pitcher that the team has had in years. 

The relative pronoun that attaches to its antecedent 
pitcher the subordinate clause that the team has had in 
years. 

4. He asked what I meant. 

The relative pronoun what introduces the subordi¬ 
nate clause what I meant , but has no antecedent. 

Who, which, what, and that are the four commonly 
used relative pronouns. As when used with such 
or same is a relative pronoun: “ My answer is the same 
as yours ” Most relative pronouns attach subordi- 
154 


ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 155 

nate clauses to their antecedents. What never has an 
antecedent. 

DECLENSION OF WHO AND WHICH 
Singular and Plural 

Nominative who which 

Possessive whose whose 

Objective whom which 

In referring to things without animal life, of which is 
often used instead of whose. 

The old house the kitchen of which is quaint and interesting is falling 
down. 

What and that always have the same form. 

Meaning of Adjective Clause 

Notice how adjective clauses are used: 

1. The truthful boy is trusted. 

2. The boy who tells the truth is trusted. 

3. Mountain trails are velvety. 

4. Trails which lead through the mountains are velvety. 

5. He lived on a busy street. 

6. He lived on a street where there was much traffic. 

7. Solomon was a wise king. 

8. Solomon was a king who showed much wisdom. 

In sentences 2, 4, 6, and 8 the subordinate clauses 
are used like the italicized adjectives in sentences 1, 3, 
5, and 7 as modifiers of the nouns boy, trails, street, and 
king. Because these clauses do the work of adjectives, 
they are called adjective clauses. An adjective clause 
modifies a noun or a pronoun. 

How to Recognize an Adjective Clause 

Find the adjective clause in the sentence: 

I know an intelligent business man who lives in Amsterdam. 

The first verb is know. I is the subject; man is the 
direct object; an, intelligent, and business modify man. 


156 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


The second verb is lives. Who is the subject. In 
Amsterdam modifies lives. Because ivho lives in 
Amsterdam modifies man, it is an adjective clause. 

Also see how adjective clauses are connected with 
the words they modify: 

1. Tennis is the game that I like best. 

2. Tennis is the game I like best. 

3. Boys who play tennis learn to think quickly. 

4. It is a ten minutes’ walk to the place where I play tennis. 

Adjective clauses are commonly attached to the 
words they modify by the relative pronouns who, 
which, and that. Sometimes, as in number 2, the rela¬ 
tive pronoun is omitted. Sentence 4 shows that the 
connective may be a subordinate conjunction — com¬ 
monly when, where, or why. 

Practice 1 

Select the adjective clause in each sentence: 

1. In Cuba there are many harbors that rank among the finest 
in the world. 

2. The lowlands that stretch from the mountains to the coast 
of Java are very fertile. 

3. In parts of Central America are found ruins of temples made 
by Indians who held the land centuries ago. 

4. A book I like is Up from Slavery. 

5. Borneo, one of the largest islands in the world, consists 
mainly of a central plateau from which several ranges branch into 
the lowland along the coast. 

6. Washington, having refused to accept any reward for the long 
years he served, journeyed to Annapolis, where Congress was in ses¬ 
sion, to resign his office as commander-in-chief of the American army. 

7. A million dollars has just been spent by the Standard Oil 
Company in drilling for oil that wasn’t there. 

8. Radio aerials should never be attached to electric-light poles 
or at any other place where they might touch power lines. 

9. These two volumes consist of the letters and telegrams 
Colonel House wrote and those he received. 

10. It is the little things that count. 


ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 157 

11. High upon the roster of those who responded to the call 
were the telephone operators. 

12. The United States is a country that offers an opportunity 
for service to every citizen. 

13. The problem of unemployment, which varies from year to 
year, is becoming more acute throughout the country. 

14. The conditions under which people live have an important 
influence on their health, efficiency, and character. 

15. You told me the best joke I ever heard. 

Analysis or Diagraming 

1. Washington hastened to Mount Vernon, his stately home, 
which still stands on the banks of the Potomac. 

This is a complex sentence. The independent clause 
is Washington hastened to Mount Vernon, his stately 
home; the subordinate clause, which still stands on 
the hanks of the Potomac. 

In the principal clause the subject is the noun 
Washington. The complete predicate is hastened to 
Mount Vernon, his stately home. The verb hastened 
is the simple predicate. Hastened is modified by the 
adverb phrase to Mount Vernon, his stately home, in 
which to is the preposition; Mount Vernon, the object; 
home, a noun in apposition with Mount Vernon; and 
the pronoun his and the adjective stately, modifiers of 
home. 

The subordinate clause is introduced by the relative 
pronoun which and modifies Mount Vernon. The 
subject is which. The complete predicate is still 
stands on the hanks of the Potomac. The verb stands 
is the simple predicate. Stands is modified by the ad¬ 
verb phrase on the hanks, in which on is the preposi¬ 
tion; hanks, the object; the, an adjective modifying 
hanks. Banks is modified also by the adjective 
phrase of the Potomac, in which of is the preposition; 
Potomac, the object; and the, an adjective modifying 
Potomac. 


158 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. For weeks everybody talked of the fine clothes and artistic 
furniture which the ship would bring from their old English homes. 


everybody | talked 


1 

For | weeks 

( 

of | 

ship | would bring | which 


l 

the 

from | homes 



their 


old 

English 


clothes 


the 


fine 


and 

furniture 


| artistic 


The line attaching which to the prepositional phrase shows that 
the relative pronoun connects the subordinate clause with clothes and 
furniture. The adjective clause modifies clothes and furniture. The 
antecedent of which is clothes and furniture. 


3. I know well the man to whom he referred. 


I | know | man 


l 

well 


the 

he | referred 



l 

to | whom 



The connective word is the 
object of the preposition to. 






























ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 159 

4. Near the place where we stayed is a mountain whose summit 
few have reached. 


mountain| is 



a 


1 

Near | place 

few | have reached | summit 


| the 

l 


whose 


where 





we | stayed 


The connective word in the first subordinate clause is placed on a 
dotted line, because it is a subordinate conjunction. In the second 
subordinate clause the relative pronoun whose modifies summit and at¬ 
taches to its antecedent mountain the subordinate clause. 

Practice 2 

Analyze or diagram these sentences: 

1. Successful salesmanship consists of selling a good article to 
a person who needs it. 

2. He killed a mosquito with a blow that would have demolished 
an African lion. 

3. Are the robin and the wren the only birds that sing through¬ 
out the year? 

4. A machine which does the work of dozens of pick-and-shovel 
men has been built to dig ditches. 

5. To my mind the only democratic sport is one in which every¬ 
body plays the game. 

6. To make money is probably the poorest ambition any boy 
can have. 

7. The joy of again meeting characters of a story to whom you 
have previously been introduced is akin to the pleasure of meeting 
old friends. 

8. To Massasoit, who protected the Pilgrims, King James sent 
a silver pipe, which the Indian chief prized above all his other 
possessions. 

9. Like Nobel, who invented dynamite, Hudson Maxim, the 
perfecter of smokeless powder in America, who died at Lake Hopat- 
cong on Friday, abhorred war. 














160 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


10. General Lincoln led the defeated army to an open field, where 
it laid down its arms. 

11. In some of the private schools the Belgian Juniors are 
subscribing for wash-basins, toothbrushes, and soap, which are pro¬ 
vided by the state in the public schools. 

12. In the schools where some of the children were formerly 
dirty and unkempt there is now a healthy rivalry in order and clean¬ 
liness. 

13. Pictures of a race which for generations had superstitiously 
shunned the camera recently were obtained by two hardy scientists 
of the American Museum of Natural History in that portion of 
Lapland above the arctic circle. 

14. It is the duty of the House to impeach any official who breaks 
his oath of office. 

15. Those who dwell among the mountains dislike the plains. 

16. The annual American Bowling Congress, which met in 
Kansas City, was attended by fifteen thousand bowlers. 

Case of Pronouns 

Study the sentences: 

1. The men-King Richard met in the woods were nobles in 

disguise, (who, whom) 

Which is correct, the nominative who or the ob¬ 
jective whomf To answer this question, we must find 
the use of the word in its clause, whom (who) King 
Richard met in the woods. The natural order of this 
clause is King Richard met whom (who) in the woods. 
Whom is correct because it is the object of met. 

2. We should vote for the man-we know will give the people 

a square deal, (who, whom) 

We know are bothersome words, because, although 
they are thrown into the adjective clause, they do not 
belong to it. They are parenthetic. Hence the ad¬ 
jective clause is who will give the people a square deal. 
Who is the subject of the verb will give. 

3. Who was it but her cousin with whom she had gone to the 
country? 


ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 


161 


it | was \ Who 


Because the relative pro¬ 
noun whom relates to its an¬ 
tecedent cousin and connects 
the subordinate clause with 
the independent clause, the 
modifier line extends from 
cousin to whom. 


The diagram shows that who and whom are correct. 

Practice 3 

In each of the following sentences is who or whom 
the proper form of the pronoun according to literary 
usage? What is the adjective clause in each sentence? 
What is the use of the relative pronoun in each ad¬ 
jective clause? 

1. The candidate-most people believe will be elected is a 

lawyer. 

2. We shall be glad to send a copy of the pamphlet to any per¬ 
son -you think would be interested. 

3. The newsboys, -he had expected would hail him as a 

comrade, hardly noticed him. 

4. Mr. Smith went to the home to find a girl-he could send 

through college. 

5. Huckleberry had a friend-he often met. 

6. He was a man-one could trust. 

7. The man-he met was a hero. 

8. The majority of people who cannot read or write just vote 

for the candidates-their friends vote for. 

9. Punctuality helps the school, the pupils, and the teacher, 
-we shall consider first. 

10. We have also our good friends, Sherman and Ryan, - 

many of you will remember entertained us last year with their 
harmonious songs and comedy. 

11. Bill Caesar,-many of you have heard over the radio, will 

be at the piano, and Bill will also lead us in song. 


1 


but | cousin 

she 

had gone 


| he 



to | country 



l 

the 



with | 

whom 













162 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


12. It could not have been we-you told. 

13. The story is about a winged horse-, people think, goes 

faster than the wind. 

14. Even dad,-, sad to say, was not feeling well, enjoyed 

the party. 

15. It was my uncle-I had not recognized in the dark. 

16. Now I have time to devote to those-, like yourself, I 

hope will be my particular customers. 

17. She married an artist-she met in Europe. 

18. We like to accept favors from those-we can repay. 

19. She is the one-we think will be chosen. 

20. The electors vote for the person-they wish for president. 

Practice 4 

Build four good sentences in which who is used 
correctly in adjective clauses and four in which whom 
is correct. 


Agreement of Verb with Subject 

Study the sentence: 

This is one of the problems that-for settlement, (cry, cries) 

Which is correct, the singular cries, or the plural 
cry? A verb agrees with its subject in number and per¬ 
son. The subject that is not hard to find, but what 
is its number? The form that is the same for the 
singular and the plural. Because a pronoun agrees 
with its antecedent in number and person, we need to 
find the antecedent, the word to which the pronoun 
refers. Which is it, one cries for settlement or problems 
cry for settlementf Because the second is the meaning, 
that agrees with its antecedent problems in the plural 
number and takes the verb cry in the plural number. 

Practice 5 

In each of the following which verb form is correct? 
What is the adjective clause? What is the antecedent 
of the relative pronoun? 


ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 163 

1. He is one of those who always-the day’s work, (does, 

do) 

2. A doctor or a nurse that - a soft and gentle voice is 

worth more than one with a harsh and loud voice, (has, have) 

3. It is I that-mistaken, (am, is) 

4. She is one of those who-no knack in household ways. 

(has, have) 

5. Is it Ralph or Marion who-at the head of the class? 

(stand, stands) 

6. It is one of those stories that-your hair stand on end. 

(makes, make) 

7. They have stiff bristles, which - up dirt and thread. 

(picks, pick) 

8. First you take the alcohol or mercury, which-colored, 

and fill the tube, (is, are) 

9. He is constantly coming across new words that-useful 

in everyday speech, (is, are) 

10. It is one of the few books that-not spoiled by frequent 

reading, (is, are) 


Syntactical Redundance 

(Wrong) The horse remembered the place from which the 
Indians came from. 

(Right) The horse remembered the place from which the In¬ 
dians came. 


horse | remembered | place 



The 


the 

Indians | came 



l 

the 

from | which 


The diagram shows that there 
is no office, use, or function for 
the second from. 


Practice 6 

Correct the following sentences. Diagram or 
analyze the correct sentences. 

1. Macaulay explains the state of mind in which Johnson was 
in on account of his hardships and privations. 

2. He is one on whom I can rely upon in time of need. 











164 GRAMMAR IN ACTION 

3. The Phseacians gave Odysseus a ship in which he went home 
in. 

4. In China, of which speakers often tell about, conditions are 
improving. 

Arrangement 

Which is clearer? 

1. I received the saws which I sent for two weeks ago, yesterday. 

2. Yesterday I received the saws which I sent for two weeks ago. 

Yesterday modifies received and should be placed in 
the principal clause, which is yesterday I received the 
saws. 


Pkactice 7 

Improve the following sentences. In each correct 
sentence what is the principal clause? The subordi¬ 
nate clause? 

1. We reached the place where we were going to camp about ten 
o’clock. 

2. Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech at the acceptance of the 
farm on which Lincoln was born by the United States government. 

3. Many employees give service which they are not paid for 
willingly and cheerfully. 

4. I consider Macaulay one of the best authors I have read for 
several reasons. 

5. Never wipe hands that have fruit juice on them on a napkin. 

6. The father, not knowing his son, wounded him in the battle 
and then recognized a piece of jewelry he had given his wife on his 
son. 

7. Most of us would not litter the block on which we live with 
paper. 

8. After graduating from high school in June, I shall apply for 
admission to the college I choose as soon as possible. 

Correct Pronouns 

Study the pronouns in these sentences: 

1. Calvin Coolidge, who was born in a little room behind a store 
in Plymouth, became president of the United States. 

2. His excuses, which were rather flimsy, were disregarded. 


ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 


165 


3. These are the best painters that have ever worked for me. 

4. Such excuses as you give are worthless. 

Who refers chiefly to persons; which, to animals 
and things; that, to persons, animals, or things. The 
relative pronoun that is used only in a clause which, 
if omitted, would change or destroy the meaning of 
the principal clause. In the third sentence the omis¬ 
sion of the subordinate clause that have ever worked 
for me would change the meaning of the independent 
clause; hence the subordinate clause is necessary or 
restrictive. 

As is used as a relative pronoun after such and same . 

What never has an antecedent. 

(Wrong) The boy what I met at the pool showed me how to 
float. 

(Right) The boy whom I met at the pool showed me how to 
float. 


Practice 8 

In each sentence supply a correct pronoun (who, 
whom, which, that, as), and give the reason: 

1. These figures are taken from the Railway Age Gazette, - 

in turn took them from a German magazine. 

2. These treaties are not of such a nature-will cause us 

trouble. 

3. Some banking institutions-are doing an illegal business 

prevented the passage of the bill. 

4. Let us give Mr. Worboys such congregations- he de¬ 
serves, and such-will be a credit to Union Church. 

5. The standing army consisted of six men, of - Doola 

was one. 

6. Huckleberry Finn is the story of a boy-was brought 

up by a widow. 

7. I saw a tall, stout lady with p, small dog-she called 

Fido. 

8. We walked in the direction from-the sound came. 

9. The doomed ship was saved all because of a little pigeon- 

risked its life for the passengers. 


166 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


10. In our small gymnasium a class is unable to do such exercises 

with the Indian clubs-would be possible in a larger gymna¬ 

sium. 

11. The men-were engaged on the work were good artisans. 

12. This bill provided for a ten per cent excess tax on concerns 
-employ children. 

13. Bring to the meeting such gifts-you yourself would en¬ 

joy receiving if you were away from home. 

14. Davy Jones is an evil man-sailors believe in. 

15. This is the ball-I brought. 

16. The money could be given to such students-show by 

their marks that they are ambitious. 

17. That is the topic-she is going to write on. 

18. This is the girl-was hurt. 

19. The deer-escaped were fortunate. 

20. Nelly was the horse-we were allowed to ride. 

21. There he finds a number of men one of-was Mr. Bar¬ 

ters son. 

22. The wise man is like a bird-stays by itself. 

23. Everything-is beautiful must be protected by some one. 

24. He barred from the club any person-he disliked. 

25. The states-had in a noble moment given up their rights 

were not so enthusiastic about losing them. 

Practice 9 

In good sentences about topics of your own choice 
use who, which, what, that, and as correctly. 

Punctuation 

Which subordinate clauses are necessary to the 
meaning of the principal clauses? 

1. People who help others are respected. 

2. St. Francis of Assisi, who spent his life helping others, is one 
of the great men of history. 

3. Pupils who neglect their daily work do not win scholarships. 

4. James Beach, who expects to study engineering in Columbia 
University, won a state scholarship. 

Without the subordinate clauses the first and third 
sentences are: People are respected and Pupils win 





ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 


167 


scholarships. These statements are meaningless; for 
some people are respected, some are not, and some 
pupils win scholarships, and some do not. Because re¬ 
moving the subordinate clauses spoils the meaning of 
the independent clauses or leaves them incomplete, 
the subordinate clauses are called necessary or restric¬ 
tive and are not set off by commas. 

Without the subordinate clauses the second and 
fourth sentences, St. Francis of Assisi is one of the 
great men of history and James Beach won a state 
scholarship , make good sense. The subordinate 
clauses are unnecessary or nonrestrictive and are set 
off by commas. 

Another way to find out whether a subordinate 
clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive is to see whether 
it answers the question, “ Which one? ” or the ques¬ 
tion, “ Which ones? ” The adjective clause in the 
first sentence tells which people are respected; in the 
third, which pupils do not win scholarships. Hence 
these clauses are restrictive and are not set off by 
commas. In the second and fourth sentences the 
subordinate clauses are nonrestrictive, and commas 
are used, because the clauses do not answer the ques¬ 
tions, “ Which St. Francis of Assisi? ” and “ Which 
James Beach? ” 


Practice 10 

Punctuate the following sentences. Give the syn¬ 
tax of every subordinate clause, and prove that the 
clause is restrictive (necessary) or nonrestrictive. 

Model for Syntax of Clauses 

The Royal Road to Romance, which was rejected by seven pub¬ 
lishers, has earned a million dollars for the company that accepted it. 

which was rejected by seven publishers — subordinate adjective 
clause modifying The Royal Road to Romance 


168 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


that accepted it — subordinate adjective clause modifying com¬ 
pany 

1. We have never done anything to assist those pupils who find 
it hard to remain in school. 

2. To open a fruit jar run a knife under the edge of the cover 
which then comes off easily. 

3. The chipmunk which is somewhat smaller than the gray 
squirrel lives on nuts and berries. 

4. The pupils who are compelled to leave school because of 
lack of funds are the very ones who would work hardest for an edu¬ 
cation. 

5. Men of Iron which was written by Pyle is an interesting book. 

6. Every pupil who is interested in school news views and 
writing will buy the school paper. 

7. Merlin then gave Arthur to a good knight who brought up 
the child. 

8. Silas Marner which we read last term appealed to me more 
than any other novel I have read. 

9. Namgay Doola had the only gun which would really shoot. 

10. He could not live with his mother whom he loved dearly. 

11. It was a happy moment for Oldroyd when he received the 
$50000 check. 

12. Farther on his heavy path led down toward the spruce 
forest in the valley where the moose now lurked in the shadow. 

13. Hamilton Fyfe tonight relinquished his editorship of the 
London Daily Herald a labor newspaper of which he has made a 
notable success. 

14. General Lincoln who had been compelled to give up his 
sword at Charleston now by Washington’s orders received the 
British sword. 

15. There was no sign as yet of the neglect and unjust treatment 
which Spain was later to bestow upon her greatest benefactor. 

16. Our next stop was Ausable Chasm which is indeed a pic¬ 
turesque place. 

17. The Hoosic Board of Trade which is made up of the progres¬ 
sive merchants of the city is planning a campaign to bring to the 
people of the community the value of doing their Christmas shopping 
early. 

18. Like many another university Harvard has reached a point 
at which she feels obliged to pick choose and restrict her entrants in. 
kind and number. 

19. Human hands have little to do with making the clothes you 


ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 169 

wear the cars you ride in the papers you read and the lights you 
read by. 

20. The schoolhouse in which Walt Whitman taught was bought 
this morning for eighteen dollars by Frank Velsor a carpenter who 
will demolish it on Monday and sell it as second-hand building ma¬ 
terial. 


Practice 11 

Using the ideas in each sentence or group of sen¬ 
tences, write an effective, sentence containing an ad¬ 
jective clause. Give the syntax of the adjective 
clause, and tell whether it is restrictive or nonre- 
strictive. Give a reason for each punctuation mark 
used. 

1. The house was built of mud. They lived in this poor little 
house. 

2. The little fleet sailed directly for the Canary Islands. Here 
final preparations for the voyage were made. 

3. Bemis Heights, a short distance south of Saratoga, had been 
fortified by Kosciusko. The Americans occupied this point. 

4. The champion has accepted an offer to swim in Philadelphia. 
She will depart for that city on Thursday. 

5. Carlyle thought that, if a person has books, he has about 
everything needed for intellectual life. I agree with him. 

6. The elimination of the rover changed the game from seven 
to six players. This is the only change of importance in hockey in 
the past few years. 

7. Professor Pupin is well known to the public. There are few 
such American scientists. 

8. Thousands of the rural population of Brazil are bitten an¬ 
nually by poisonous snakes. One of the national problems of Brazil 
is to save the lives of these people. 

9. The reporters turned to the conductor. He answered their 
questions. 

10. The biological survey desired to secure specimens of carbon 
from the Rainy Pass country, so we went after the specimens. 

11. We saw there only one flower new to me. It was the Indian 
pink. 

12. Refusing to accept any reward for his long years of hard 
service, Washington hastened to Mount Vernon, his stately home, 


170 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


to enjoy once more with his family and friends the delights of the 
Christmas time. His house still stands on the bank of the Potomac 
not far from Washington. 

13. Amy had traveled through Europe with her aunt. She 
reached home on Christmas day. 

14. Love of adventure was the directing force in the life of Joseph 
Conrad. Conrad’s rise to fame is as romantic as his stories. 

15. Mary Antin was eager to become a scholar. She asked her 
mother every day to let her go to school. 

Summary 

1. A subordinate clause is used like a noun, an 
adjective, or an adverb. 

2. A complex sentence has one independent clause 
and one or more subordinate clauses. 

3. Most relative pronouns attach subordinate 
clauses to their antecedents. What never has an 
antecedent. 

4. An adjective clause modifies a noun or a pro¬ 
noun. 

5. To determine the case of a relative pronoun, 
find its use in its own clause. 

6. A verb agrees with its subject in number and 
person (review). A relative pronoun agrees with its 
antecedent in number and gender. 

7. The mistake of using in a sentence a word which 
has no office, function, or use is called syntactical 
redundance (review). 

8. As a rule place a modifier close to the word 
modified (review). 

9. Who refers chiefly to persons; which , to animals 
or things; that, to persons, animals, or things. As is 
used as a relative pronoun after such and same. 

10. A nonrestrictive phrase or clause is set off by 
commas. 


CHAPTER XIII 


ADVERB CLAUSES 

What an Adverb Clause Is 

Look at these sentences: 

1. He came quickly. 

2. He Came when he was ready. 

3. There stood an old-model flivver shaking violently. 

4. There stood an old-model flivver shaking as if it had the ague. 

5. Yesterday we climbed Mount Vesuvius. 

6. When we were in Naples, we climbed Mount Vesuvius. 

In sentences 2, 4, and 6 the subordinate clauses are 
used like the italicized adverbs in 1, 3, and 5 as modi¬ 
fiers of the verbs came, shaking (a participle is a verb 
form), and climbed. Because these clauses do the 
work of adverbs, they are called adverb clauses. 
Adverb clauses, like adverbs, modify verbs, adjectives, 
and adverbs. 

How to Recognize an Adverb Clause 

Find the adverb clause in the sentence: 

While I write, I hear the rumble and roar of thunder. 

The first verb is write, I is its subject, and while 
is a subordinate conjunction. Because while I write 
modifies hear by telling when I hear, it is an adverb 
clause. 

Notice how adverb clauses are connected with the 
words modified: 

1 . Although few people are aware of the fact, there are class distinctions 
among tramps. 

2. When a trumpet was blown, they rushed at each other as fast as 
their horses could go. 

3. Were I living in Montreal, I should enjoy tobogganing. 

171 


172 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Adverb clauses are commonly attached to the words 
modified by subordinate conjunctions: although in 
sentence 1 and when and as in sentence 2. Sometimes, 
as in number 3, the subordinate conjunction is omitted. 


Practice 1 


What is the adverb clause in each sentence? What 
subordinate conjunction connects each clause with 
the word modified? 

1. As Adams and Hancock escaped across the fields together, 
the cracking of rifles reached their ears. 

2. When you enter a classroom, go at once to your own seat. 

3. My salary jumped, for overtime was time and a half. 

4. Until gasoline engines are greatly improved, a continuous 
airplane voyage around the globe will not be an easy adventure. 

5. They were forced to land their machine on the ice after they 
had gone five hundred fifty miles without finding land. 

6. No man is happy until he stops thinking of himself. 

7. I have never seen anybody as happy as Will was. 

8. Walter Johnson was a star pitcher for the Senators when he 
was twenty-two years old. 

9. As she walked up the street, supporting herself on her staff, 
the chill wind shook her tiny body. 

10. The blanket slid to the floor as the old man took the fiddle 
and stood up. 

Analysis or Diagraming 

1. Although Charley’s pup looked like a cur, it became a movie 
star. 

it | became \ star 


A 

movie 


The adverb clause modi¬ 
fies the verb became. The 
subordinate conjunction is 
placed on a dotted line above 
the rest of the clause. 


Although 


pup | looked 


| Charley’s I like | cur 










ADVERB CLAUSES 173 


2. When a trumpet was blown, they rushed at their opponents 
as fast as their horses could go. 


they | rushed 


at | opponents 
1 their 


fast 



One adverb clause modi¬ 
fies the adverb as; the other 
modifies the verb rushed. 

When 

trumpet | was blown 
a 


as 

horses | could go 

I 

their 


3. Marie is braver than her brother. 
Marie | is \ braver 


1 

than 


brother | x \ x 


| her 


The adverb clause mod¬ 
ifies the adjective braver. 
The x’s show that is brave 
is understood. 


Practice 2 

Analyze or diagram the following sentences: 

1. The only sad note in Huck’s boyhood came when his mother 
died. 

2. If we had stopped at hotels, my bank roll would have lasted 
about three days. 

3. As he approached the little group near the lounge, the men 
turned to him eagerly. 

4. Simon went home and when his father died became the lord 
of the castle. 

5. He was sunburnt until he was nearly brown in color. 

6. Smells are surer than sounds and sights. 

7. While I write, I hear the child’s breathing as she sleeps in 
her cozy bed. 

8. I must have been about thirteen years old when, in the 
Adirondack Mountains of New York, I shot my first deer. (Years 



















174 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


is a noun used like an adverb — adverbial objective. Diagram it 
as if it were an adverb.) 

9. Although the Northmen’s vessels were only large, open boats, 
they did not fear to make voyages upon the stormy Atlantic. 

10. We leaned against tree trunks, and ate and drank as though 
we had never had a meal before. (The subordinate conjunction is 
as though.) 

Practice 3 

Find the subordinate clauses. Which are adjective 
clauses? Which are adverb? What word does each 
clause modify? 

1. When my parents bought me a pup, I was happy. 

2. One of the most intelligent dogs I know looks up at aviators 
when they fly low, and barks. 

3. There are many people now living whose fathers saw the 
introduction of photography. 

4. Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him 
while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong. — Lincoln 

5. When it was cold, all he could do was shiver. 

6. After I received my parents’ consent, I bought a large black 
Newfoundland dog whose name was Nigger. 

7. Archie, who had been listening intently, looked stubborn 
but interested. 

8. We are interested in things we know something about. 

9. My eye went a little greater distance into Connecticut, where 
I lived as a boy; to the Massachusetts coast, where I used to sail a 
catboat in summer; to the upper end of New Hampshire, where my 
father had a cabin right at the tree line in the White Mountains. 

10. Although most people are naturally kind, it seems to be 
beyond the power of most men who can shoot to see living wild 
animals without desiring to reduce them to carcasses. 

11. The success of any hostess is measured by the skill with 
which she puts her guests at ease. 

12. Few men regret the things they haven’t said. 

13. 0 what a tangled web we weave, 

When first we practice to deceive. 

14. With a rapidly beating heart I mounted the stairs to the hall, 
where we took off our wraps. 

15. The tiger does not advertise his presence and invite his 
enemies by the roaring in which the Hon delights to indulge. 


ADVERB CLAUSES 


175 


Punctuation 
Introductory Clause 

Study the punctuation of these sentences: 

1. When a man is wrong and won’t admit it, he always gets angry. 

2. Although we may be unconscious of our mistakes in English, others 
notice them. 

3. Because Waller did not know how to farm well, his family sometimes 
didn’t have much to eat. 

In each sentence the adverb clause conies before 
the independent clause and is followed by a comma. 
The comma may be omitted after a restrictive intro¬ 
ductory clause, especially a short one. 

Nonrestrictive Clause 

Study the punctuation of these sentences: 

1. Dad likes the radio very much when somebody interesting is 
announcing. 

2. Ruth’s pay will be three dollars a minute if he gets that 

$ 100 , 000 . 

3. An entire month has passed since the floods of the Mississippi 
Valley began. 

4. It will be perfectly brilliant down there under the sea, for 
most of the deep-sea fishes carry their own lighting plants. 

5. Prices have advanced steadily, as you know. 

6. An intelligent boy should complete his high-school course, 
whether he likes to study or not. 

The comma is used to set off nonrestrictive clauses. 

Without the adverb clauses the first three sen¬ 
tences are: Dad likes the radio very much; Ruth’s pay 
will he three dollars a minute; and An entire month has 
passed. 

The first and second are untrue, and the third is 
meaningless. Dad likes the radio only at times; 
Ruth’s pay will be three dollars a minute if he re¬ 
ceives what he is asking for. Because removing the 


176 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


adverb clauses spoils or changes the meaning of the 
independent clauses, the adverb clauses are restrictive 
and are not set off by commas. 

Without the adverb clauses the last three sentences, 
It will be perfectly brilliant down there under the sea; 
Prices have advanced steadily; and An intelligent boy 
should complete his high-school course, make good 
sense. Hence the adverb clauses are unnecessary or 
nonrestrictive and are set off by commas. 

The what one test often helps us to find the restrictive 
clauses. In 1 the adverb clause answers the question, 
“ At what one time? ” in 2, “If what one thing hap¬ 
pens? ” in 3, “ Since what one event? ” 

Always use a comma before as, since, or for when 
the clause gives a reason. 

Practice 4 

Punctuate the following sentences. Give the 
syntax of every subordinate clause. Justify each 
punctuation mark. Show that each clause is re¬ 
strictive or nonrestrictive. 

1. I went to bed early for I was tired. 

2. Elephants trumpet when they scent danger. 

3. As the days passed Stevenson grew fond of Modestine. 

4. Pussy dozes as crowds hurry by or watch fire fighters. 

5. He won the championship because he wouldn’t be beaten. 

6. I know the prospects of advancement in the company are 
excellent for the executives are selected from the ranks. 

7. When his employer asks him about a subject he under¬ 
stands he answers promptly and accurately. 

8. When Ralph got off the train he looked for Uncle Harry who 
had promised to meet him at the station. 

9. The farmer is much keener in his reasoning than he is given 
credit for by the average city man. 

10. In Africa the people of some of the native tribes track their 
enemies by the sense of smell almost as a hound does. 

11. When the little girl sat down to eat her nurse would always 
correct her. 


ADVERB CLAUSES 177 

12. Just as the sable knight was about to kill Arthur Merlin 
struck the knight with his wand. 

13. When the lever of the fountain pen is pressed down the ink 
is drawn into the pen. 

14. It was nearly dark when they got off the car in Shore Park. 

15. When the wart-hog went to ground I thought it a piece of 
good luck as I could dig it out at my leisure. 

16. As every one knows a high school would not seem complete 
without a school paper. 

17. The camper finds that his wood has been cut for the state 
does not care to have its forests hacked by ambitious but unskilled 
seekers after fuel. 

18. Edward F. Keating was in the lead in the Lake George 
marathon swim as the contestants tonight had covered more than 
fifteen miles of the course. 

19. While we were eating the orchestra played stirring and sooth¬ 
ing selections. 

20. During his summer vacation Jack acted as a Boy Scout leader 
since he likes the outdoors and enjoys the hardships of camp life. 

The Upside-Down Sentence 

Which is better? 

1. My mother and I were walking home from the village when a 
rabbit popped out of the woods and nervously watched us approach. 

2. While my mother and I were walking home from the village, a rabbit 
popped out of the woods and nervously watched us approach. 

The important or principal thought should be in 
the independent clause. Is the popping out of the 
rabbit or the walking home from the village the point 
of the sentence? Because the principal thought is 
that the rabbit popped out and watched nervously, 
number 2 is better than number 1. 

Practice 5 

Improve these sentences by putting the principal 
thought in the independent clause. Give the syntax 
of the adverb clauses. Justify every comma used. 

1. I was just about to sit down at the table again when I heard 
' some mysterious footsteps on the stairway. 


178 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. We were just leaving Syracuse when we had a blow-out. 

3. They had been fishing only a short time when they caught 
two large trout. 

4. I sat there under the trees when two soldiers came out of the 
mosque. 

5. It opened on June 1, when scaffolding covered most of the 
building and few of the exhibits were in place. 

6. I was riding in the subway this afternoon at about three 
o’clock when I lost my pocketbook. 

7. One hot summer day I was sitting on the porch of our house, 
when the mailman came up and handed me a letter from Japan. 

8. I was mowing the lawn when a gray squirrel climbed to the 
top of the elm tree in front of the house. 

Practice 6 

Make each compound sentence into a complex 
sentence by changing an independent clause to an 
adverb clause. 

Example 

(Compound) My companion was in the midst of an anecdote, 
and the steamer whistled for Old Forge. 

(Complex with adverb clause) While my companion was in the 
midst of an anecdote, the steamer whistled for Old Forge. 

1. We spent four years in Japan, but we did not meet any 
Japanese statesmen. 

2. It rained hard all day, so we stayed in our tent and read. 

3. He walked down the gangplank on to the wharf, and some 
of the men lifted their hats and cheered. 

4. Our city things were packed and ready, so we were able to 
leave camp at five o’clock. 

5. Scarlet tanagers are commonly found in open woods, but 
they often come out into fields, parks, and orchards. 

6. Huckleberry Finn wasn’t in the library, so I decided to read 
The Prince and the Pauper. 

7. The King of Portugal pretended to reject Columbus’s 
scheme, but he sent a secret expedition to test the ideas of 
Columbus. 

8. Very solemn religious services were held, and then Colum¬ 
bus with three vessels and about one hundred sailors began the 
world’s most famous voyage. 


ADVERB CLAUSES 179 

9. I was passionately fond of reading, so most of my weekly 
allowance was spent on books. 

10. The snow will melt in the spring, and the Colorado River will 
be a raging torrent. 


Practice 7 

Write about books, sports, studies, vacation, hob¬ 
bies, pets, or exciting experiences ten forceful sen¬ 
tences containing adverb clauses. Give the syntax 
of each adverb clause. Give a reason for each comma 
used. 

Summary 

1. An adverb clause, like an adverb, modifies a 
verb, an adjective, or an adverb. 

2. If the adverb clause comes before the inde¬ 
pendent clause, it is as a rule followed by a comma. 

3. The comma is used to set off nonrestrictive 
clauses and phrases (review). Always use a comma 
before as, since, or for when the clause gives a reason. 

4. The principal thought of a sentence should be 
in the independent clause. 


CHAPTER XIV 


COMPLEX SENTENCES CONTAINING 
NOUN CLAUSES 

How to Recognize a Noun Clause 

See how noun clauses are used: 

1. Victory seemed impossible. 

2. That we should win seemed impossible. 

In sentence 1, victory is the subject of seemed; 
in 2 the clause that we should win is the subject. 

3. Do you know some worth-while booksf 

4. Do you know what books are worth reading? 

In 3 the object of know is the noun books; in 4 the 
object is the clause what books are worth reading . 

5. His statement was worth hearing. 

6. What he said was worth hearing. 

In 5 statement is the subject of the verb was; in 6 
the clause what he said is the subject. 

7. One reason for his failure is lack of study. v 

8. One reason for his failure is that he didn’t study hard enough. 

In 7 the noun lack is a predicate nominative after 
the verb is; in 8 the clause that he didn’t study hard 
enough is the predicate nominative. 

Clauses like these, which do the work of nouns or 
are used like nouns, are called noun clauses. 

Practice 1 

Find the noun clauses in these sentences, and tell 
how each is used: 


COMPLEX SENTENCES WITH NOUN CLAUSES 181 


Model for Written Work 

A newspaper reporter asked Mr. Ford how it feels to be a billion¬ 
aire. 

The noun clause how it feels to be a billionaire is ob¬ 
ject of the verb asked. 

1. In my experience I have found that one cannot make dogs 
work by beating them. 

2. That no dog will develop proper racing qualities through fear 
of his master is a well-established fact. 

3. It is often said that water transportation is cheap. (The 
noun clause is in apposition with it.) 

4. In the Adirondacks and Catskills city motorists find that 
the state has prepared camp sites for them. 

5. The newspapers announce that George Eastman, the maker 
of kodaks, will return to Africa for a second big game hunt. 

6. Six bands and two calliopes will tell downtown Syracuse 
that a ranch is on parade. 

7. Last week news came from the White House that only four 
official dishes have been broken since 1918. 

8. I don’t know whether it was generous of us, or merely silly. 

9. The first speaker attempted to prove that the United States 
government should have control over child labor. 

10. Nobody really knows who the newcomers are or whence they 
came. 

11. Do you know that a banana has a high food value? 

12. Has it ever occurred to you that some advertisements catch 
the eye very quickly? 


Analysis or Diagraming 

1. “Look at the Frenchman,” said the architect. 


x | Look 



1 


at | Frenchman 

architect | said 


| the 


1 

the 


Noun clauses are 
placed on platforms. 
The noun clause is ob¬ 
ject of the verb said. 










182 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. It is true that a person must always live with himself. 


that 


person | must live 



1 

a 


always 

It = 

with | himself 


| is \ true 


The noun clause is in 
apposition with it. The 
subordinate conjunction 
that is placed on a dotted 
line above the clause 
which it introduces. 


3. Give the book to whoever comes to the door. 


x | Give | book 


l 

| the 



whoever 

| comes 


to | 

| |to | door 
| the 


The noun clause is ob¬ 
ject of the preposition to. 


Whoever is a compound relative pronoun. The 
compound relatives whoever, whosoever, whomever, 
whomsoever, whatever, and whatsoever are formed by 
adding ever and soever to who, whom, and what. Com¬ 
pound relatives do not have antecedents. 


Practice 2 


Analyze or diagram these sentences: 

1. Is it true that only one invention in two thousand is a com¬ 
mercial success? 

2. Joseph C. Lincoln says that writing stories is hard work. 

* 3. Investigation showed the owl had maimed several hens be¬ 
fore being scared out. 

4. The question for debate is: Should the United States have 
a department of education with a secretary in the President’s 
cabinet? 

5. Nowadays good doctors agree that almost everybody should 
drink six or eight glasses of water a day. (Day is a noun used like 
an adverb — an adverbial objective. Diagram it as if it were an 
adverb.) 

















COMPLEX SENTENCES WITH NOUN CLAUSES 183 


6. One lesson learned was that Washington needed more au¬ 
thority. 

7. Remember you can’t lift yourself by downing others. 

8. The doctors say, also, that two-thirds of the weight of the 
body is water. 

9. That the story is founded on fact is doubtful. 

10. Who shall say which is wiser? 

11. It is unfortunate that sport should not be better recorded 
in the histories of man. 

12. It suddenly dawned on me that I had never cared a great 
deal for camping. 

13. I shall go to the game with whoever invites me. 

14. Tell me why your cat was named Trixie. 

15. Do you remember where the book was bought? 

That 

When that introduces a subordinate clause, it is a 
relative pronoun if who, whom, or which can be sub¬ 
stituted for it; otherwise a subordinate conjunction. 

(Subordinate conjunction) Remember that conversation is an 
interchange of thoughts and ideas. 

(Relative pronoun) The road that led to the bridge was thickly 
shaded by overhanging trees. 

Practice 3 

Find all subordinate clauses. Which are noun 
clauses? Which are adverb? Which are adjective? 
How is each clause used? 

1. When we asked the Cleveland for a true bearing from her 
radio compass, we knew we were slightly north of her course. 

2. Thus it was Pupin who in 1915 gave to telephony probably 
its most important contribution. 

3. While her children were in school, she made her home in 
historic Gettysburg, where her life was a full and busy one. 

4. A German biologist vows that the orang-utan can sing. 

5. If you had put that six dollars out at interest and kept re¬ 
investing it, in twelve years it would have doubled itself. 

6. Mr. Drum, who for years was a Boy Scout executive, said 
when he was called on that no other pleasure equals in value the 
joys of the outdoors. 


184 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


7. Any dog which has not been licensed by November 4 is in 
danger of being scooped into a net by officers of the S. P. C. A. and 
taken to the pound, where it will cost the owner two dollars to 
return him to his kennel in the back yard. 

8. Changes in football which the rules committee made on 
March 5 are likely to have a greater effect upon the game than any¬ 
thing done to it since the adoption of the forward pass. 

9. When I was in Africa, I found places where elephants had 
dug in the sand. 

10. During the conference the railroad officials said that they 
were preparing to handle bumper harvests. 

11. It has long been said that a photograph lacks the human 
touch of the painter. 

12. In all the world there are few more charming views than 
that from the slopes of the Imperial Valley of California. 

13. A really clever young man knows that his opinions are crude 
and worth little beside those of more experienced men and women. 

14. He was tall, but exceedingly lank, with narrow shoulders, 
long arms and legs, hands that dangled a mile out of his sleeves, and 
feet that might have served for shovels. 

Case 

Which are correct? 

1. They asked me-I was and-my master was. (who, 

whom) ( who, whom) 

2. We disagree as. to-should represent us. (who, whom) 

The diagrams answer the question. In sentence 1 
the two clauses are the compound object of asked. 
In 2 the preposition as to is two words. 

I | was \ who 


and 


master | was \ who 

1 my | 

They | asked | 


x | me 












COMPLEX SENTENCES WITH NOUN CLAUSES 185 

We | disagree 


1 

who | should represent | us 


as to | 



Practice 4 

Two of the italicized pronouns are incorrect. Which 
are they? Why are they incorrect? Show by dia¬ 
graming or in some other way that the italicized 
pronouns in eight of the sentences are correct. 

1. He didn’t know to whom he gave the football. 

2. Wamba told Cedric who he was. 

3. Whom do you think I am? 

4. She believed that it was I who called. 

5. I do not know by whom the picture was painted. 

6. Whom do you expect will undertake the journey? 

7. Who was it I was dreaming about? 

8. I seemed destined to bring ruin on whoever showed kind¬ 
ness to me. 

9. She didn’t know it was I. 

10. The woman asked me whom I was picking the strawberries 
for. 

Punctuation of Quotations 

Study the punctuation of these sentences: 

1. “How much are these table apples?” asked a business man of 
his grocer. 

2. “I’ll wash the dishes while you get the tent up,” I said. 

Quotation marks inclose a direct quotation. In 1 
a question mark follows the quoted question; in 2 
a comma is placed after the quoted statement. 

3. “A man’s own good breeding,” Chesterfield says, “is the 
best security against other people’s ill manners.” 

4. “Eat at your table,” says Confucius, “as you would eat at 
the table of a king.” 

When a quoted sentence is broken by an expression 







186 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


like Chesterfield says, two pairs of quotation marks 
are used. Notice that is in 3 and as in 4 begin with 
small letters and that the quotation marks follow the 
commas and periods. 

5. “Courageous talk is easy,” he says; “courageous deeds are 
hard.” 

The semicolon is needed after says, because without 
he says the sentence is: “ Courageous talk is easy; 
courageous deeds are hard.” 

6. “Land looked mighty good to us,” said Smith. “We didn’t 
know what moment our gas would give out.” 

Number 6 shows how to punctuate and capitalize 
two or more quoted sentences. Note the period after 
Smith and the capital in we. 

7. A modest, a natural, a well-prepared man uttered this com¬ 
mand: “You may fire when ready, Gridley.” 

Jf the quotation is long or is introduced by as 
follows, this, thus, these words, or a similar expression, 
the colon is placed before it. 

Practice 5 

Punctuate and capitalize these direct quotations. 
Give a reason for each punctuation mark or capital 
inserted. 

1. The speaker said do you want back the old corner saloon 

2. Don’t you think said the captain to his soldiers that you can 
seize the fortification opposite 

3. This is the most dramatic view in the world he said here we 
will put a great hotel 

4. The question at issue was this shall lagrange have Sunday 
movies 

5. What! I cried do you think I’ve lived for eight years in Cal¬ 
cutta for nothing 

6. But the honorable sir knows said he that it was made by 
hand in the ancient city of benares 


COMPLEX SENTENCES WITH NOUN CLAUSES 187 


7. I must be off he said I’m lunching with my brother at the 
Pennsylvania hotel 

8. Property can be paid for said the speaker lives cannot be 

9. We are delighted beyond measure said commander byrd to 
have landed the america on the shores of france 

10. An audience in naples is extremely critical he said 

11. Science says to him keep your teeth clean and they will be 
healthy 

12. Don’t be satisfied with one he said buy as many as you can 

Word Order in Indirect Quotation 

Which are correct? 

1. He asked the villagers - Rip Van Winkle, (did they 

know, whether they knew) 

2. He asked me-going to the ball game, (am I, whether I 

was) 

In the direct question the verb or part of it comes 
before the subject; in the indirect question the sub¬ 
ject commonly precedes the verb. Hence whether 
they knew and whether I was are correct. 

Practice 6 

Improve these sentences: 

1. The mystery was how did the jay transport her eggs from the 
nest. 

2. She asks Mr. Miller where is his wife. 

3. Mary Walters now wonders who is the man. 

4. He asked could he have the croquet balls. 

5. He asked me am I going to the football game. 

Using Noun Clauses 

Practice 7 

In rewriting these sentences, substitute a good noun 
clause for a phrase or another expression. Give the 
syntax of the noun clauses in your sentences. 

1. Dog racing started in Alaska to find out the best sled dogs for 
racing and for endurance. 


188 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. Here he learned of the death of the brave King Richard. 

3. Do you realize the importance of correct and forceful English? 

4. The nurse told us about the dirty, unsanitary homes of the 
children. 

5. You will be glad to learn of Gilbert’s becoming a- faithful 
squire and then a good knight. 

Practice 8 

Using a noun clause in each sentence, write eight 
forceful sentences about the United States, your state, 
your school, your home, good manners, animals, 
historical subjects, or the Marken street scene shown 
in the picture. 

Summary 

1. A clause used like a noun is called a noun clause. 

2. The comma is used to set off a short direct quo¬ 
tation. 

3. The colon precedes a quotation if it is long or 
introduced by this, these, as follows, these words, or a 
similar expression. 

4. Quotation marks inclose a direct quotation. 

5. The quotation mark always follows the comma 
or the period. 

6. In the indirect question the subject commonly 
precedes the verb. 


COMPLEX SENTENCES WITH NOUN CLAUSES 189 













CHAPTER XV 


CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS IN 
SENTENCES CHIEFLY COMPLEX 

Because more than three-fourths of the grammatical 
errors made by pupils are mistakes in the use of verbs 
and pronouns, this chapter calls for much additional 
practice in using correctly these two troublesome 
parts of speech. 

Tense 

Action Extending to the Present Time 

Which is correct? 

Since the war of 1812 “The Star-spangled Banner” - the 

hearts of the American people, (stirred, has stirred) 

The present perfect is correct, because the stirring 
is an action which extends to the present, not a particu¬ 
lar action in past time. 

(Wrong) Did the bell ring yet? 

(Right) Has the bell rung? 

The yet shows that the speaker wishes to ask about 
all time up to the present minute, not a particular past 
time. The present perfect tense is used if the action is 
complete at the present time or extends, at least in its 
consequences, to the present. 

A Particular Action in Past Time 

Which are correct? 

1. The steamship Providence, which sailed from New York on 

March 5, - at Messina on Saturday, April 9. (arrived, has 

arrived) 

2. That day a soothsayer-to Csesar, “ Beware the Ides of 

March.” (says, said) 


190 


CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS 


191 


The arriving and the saying are particular actions 
in past time. Hence the past tense forms arrived and 
said are correct. 


Practice 1 

Complete these sentences. Tell the tense of each 
verb inserted, and explain why this tense is required. 

1. Modern history is the record of events that-recently. 

(happen) 

2. How many times- to go somewhere and-how to 

get there? (did you want, have you wanted) (did not know, have 
not known) 

3. Yesterday I-the shirts you referred to in your letter 

of May 6. (ship) 

4. I-last summer for Mr. Keyes, (work) 

5. No doubt you would like to know how I am getting along 

since I-school, (leave) 

6. Washington-that education is especially important in a 

democracy, (say) 

7. After the delivery of my last speech I-that I controlled 

my pitch very much better than usual, (passive of tell) 

8. Ever since I entered high school, I-to tell you about 

our school, (wish) 

9. The Republican presidential candidates-successful in 

1920 and 1924. (be) 

10. We-in business over sixteen years, (be) 

11. A friend of my father-me an order last week for a four- 

tube set. (give) 

12. Since 1881 various immigration-restriction laws-. (pas¬ 

sive of adopt) 

13. Last week I-your letter, (receive) 

14. This book-in 1846, almost a hundred years ago. (pas¬ 

sive of publish) 

15. Lincoln and Emerson-of humble birth, (be) 

Action Prior to a Past Time 

Which are correct? 

1. At twelve o’clock he asked me for a package which his daugh¬ 
ter -there that morning, (left, had left) 


192 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


The past perfect tense had left is correct, because the 
leaving occurred before the asking. The past perfect 
tense represents action prior to some past time. 

2. Silas Marner remembered that he-his knife to William 

Dane, (gave, had given) 

The giving occurred before the past act of re¬ 
membering; hence the past perfect had given is 
needed. 


Practice 2 

Complete the following sentences. Give the tense 
of each verb inserted, and explain why this tense is 
required. 

1. Silas, who-unjustly accused, turned to a life of solitude. 

(be) 

2. He asked me for the pencil which I-for him in Tarry- 

town. (buy) 

3. Five minutes later I was lying on the sand wondering what 
-. (happen) 

4. It was the first time he-a man in three years, (see) 

5. The crew untied the bag of winds which iEolus-to Odys¬ 

seus. (give) 

6. When I reached home, I discovered that I - my pen. 

(lost) 

7. When Rip Van Winkle awoke, he thought he-only one 

night, (sleep) 

8. We struck such a bad bump that I should have been pitched 

out of the car if it-not for my uncle Joe. (be) 

9. Miss Watson told Huck that Moses-dead a long time. 

(be) 

10. When Wamba heard that his master- by bandits, he 

tried to get help, (passive of capture ) 

11. When they-out at sea a few days, an old Spanish sailor 

came up to the skipper, (be) 

12. On his way home Chad heard that the Major, who-him 

in to shelter him years before, was dead, (take) 

13. The children woke up early and went to see whether Santa 

Claus-them toys, (bring) 



CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS 193 

14. When they-about two or three weeks, they began to 

come to icy waters, (sail) 

15. Robin Hood knew that he-into their trap, (fall) 

16. Egeus told Lysander that he-to give his consent to the 

marriage, (decide) 

17. My brother ran to see what-to me. (happen) 

18. That evening we all agreed that we-a wonderful day. 

(have) 

19. King Neptune’s helpers were some of the crew and some 

passengers who-the equator before, (cross) 

20. If Nancy-that Eppie was Godfrey’s child, she would 

have adopted her. (know) 

General Truth 

Which is correct? 

He said that Venus-a planet, (is, was) 

Venus always has been a planet and always will be 
a planet. The present tense is used to express what is 
customary or always true. 

Practice 3 

Insert the correct verb form. Give the reason. 

1. As we were walking across the desert, we realized how neces¬ 
sary water-. (is, was) 

2. We next went to see a tiny lake which-called the “Bath 

Tub.” (is, was) 

3. The Capitol, which we visited first in Washington, - a 

large white building with a dome on the top. (is, was) 

4. We had for dinner the kind of meat I-, which - 

chicken, (like, liked) (is, was) 

5. Our teacher told us that water- when it freezes, (ex¬ 

pands, expanded) 


Practice 4 

About topics of your own choice write two good 
sentences illustrating the correct use of each of these 
tenses: present, past, present perfect, past perfect. 


194 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Careless Tense Shift 

Which is correct? 

He sees his dark-eyed queen and-fall a tear into the sand. 

(let, lets) 

Because sees is in the present tense, the present 
tense lets is needed. We should not carelessly shift 
from the past to the present or the present to the 
past. 


Might, Could, Would, Should 

Which is correct? 

Jim said he-tell the whole story, (will, would) 

Rudolph said that he-be absent, (may, might) 

Might, could, would, and should, not may, can, will, 
and shall, are used after a past tense. Because said is 
in the past tense, would and might are correct. 

Practice 5 

Insert the correct verb form. Give the reason. 

1. Of course, I didn’t run because that-have made it worse 

for me. (may, might) 

2. Chad’s mother dies, and Chad-left an orphan, (is, was) 

3. They broke up the furniture they-like, (don’t, didn’t) 

4. Rip Van Winkle was a good-natured, obedient, hen-pecked 

husband who-any kind of profitable labor, (dislikes, disliked) 

5. Mildred asked to have the life of her committee extended so 

that it-investigate service clubs in other schools, (may, might) 

6. Silas was kind and fatherly to Eppie for eighteen years and 
-her love and respect, (deserves, deserved) 

7. I first read the whole examination paper and jotted down 

answers I-forget, (may, might) 

8. William Dane knew that Silas-be alone that night with 

the dying minister, (will, would) 

9. I asked my mother if we-go. (may, might) 

10. The maiden prayed that she-be saved from the angry 

river, (may, might) 


CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS 


195 


11. We decided what we-do the next day. (shall, should) 

12. The judge said that he-give me three days to find a 

champion, (will, would) 

Practice 6 

Correct all mistakes. Four sentences are correct. 
Give a reason for each change made. 

1. Just then Dr. Livesey come in. 

2. He hadn’t ought to undertake the trip alone. 

3. After we had finished the outline, we were ready to write 
the composition. 

4. You had ought to have gone to the concert. 

5. About five o’clock we walked home, talking of the fun we 
had that day. 

6. I give that book to you yesterday. 

7. If every one does his share, the school would be kept clean. 

8. If I had have been there, I could tell you more. 

9. When we were there a few days, my mother suggested that 
we walk to the village. 

10. The question whether the city should provide pupils with 
free transportation to and from their homes is being discussed for 
the last few months. 

11. My cousin, who had lived in the country all his life, was an 
expert berry picker. 

12. Geometry has been studied for two thousand years before 
the birth of Christ. 

13. The teacher told us that water is composed of oxygen and 
hydrogen. 

14. He promised that he will buy his ticket from me. 

15. I have worked last summer for the Jason Stationery Com¬ 
pany. 

16. She feared that some accident has happened to Fido. 

17. When my father had been in the army for ten years, he was 
made captain. 

18. Puck was a knavish little sprite who plays tricks on the vil¬ 
lage folk. 

19. I didn’t study my lesson yet. 

20. For instance, take a person who is down to his last dollar 
and had just spent fifteen cents of it for a movie to get warm. 

21. When I reached home, I discovered that I forgot my suit¬ 
case. 



196 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Shall, Will, Should, and Would 

» 

Indirect Quotation 

Direct Quotation Indirect Quotation 

He says, “ I shall do the work.” He says that he shall do the work. 

He says, “You will do the work.” He says that you will do the work. 

He says, “John will do the work.” He says that John will do the work. 

He says, “I should do the work.” He says that he should do the work. 

In an indirect quotation use the auxiliary that 
would be used if the quotation were direct. 

Other Subordinate Clauses 

In other subordinate clauses shall and should are 
commonly used in all persons for the simple future; 
will and would, for wishing, consenting, and willing. 

(Simple future) If you shoidd miss the train, come by trolley. 

(Consent) I shall feel greatly obliged to you if you will 

tell me. 

(Simple future) If war should be abolished, misery would be 
lessened. 

(Willing) If you will study intelligently every day, you 

will master your difficulties. 

Practice 7 

Supply the preferred form — shall, will, should, 
would. Justify each choice. 

1. I hope that I-have an early reply. 

2. He answered that he- probably be on the field at two 

o’clock. 

3. I fear that I-not be able to come. 

4. I hope the package-come soon. 

5. (Simple future) Ralph says that he-go to Dartmouth 

College. 

6. The carpenter promised that he-begin work on Monday. 

7. If we manage to save two hours by the system, we-do 

well. 

8. If you-learn how to study, you-save time, (should, 

would) 


CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS 


197 


Uses of Subjunctive Mood 

Turn to page 96, and compare the present and the 
past tense indicative and subjunctive of see and of be. 
In the active voice the indicative and subjunctive of 
see are exactly the same in the past tense and differ 
only in the third person singular of the present tense. 
Most verbs are like see. Only in the third person 
singular of the present tense and of the present perfect 
tense of an ordinary verb can one make a mistake. 
An important exception is be, the indicative and 
subjunctive of which differ frequently. 

Condition Contrary to Fact 

1. If I were you, I should study birds. 

2. If the day were colder, we might build a fire. 

3. You would have laughed yourself sick if you had been with 
me that night. 

These conditions are untrue or contrary to fact, 
because I am not you; the day, we know from the 
sentence, is not colder; and you were not with me 
that night. 

A clause introduced by as if or as though is similar 
to a condition contrary to fact. 

He ran as if he were pursued by a ghost. 

Wish or Prayer 

1. I wish I were in Switzerland. 

2. God bless you. 

Volition ( Commanding, Demanding, Willing ) 

1. Everybody sit down. 

2. I insist that he do his own work. 

Practice 8 

Which word is correct? Why? 

1. If he-in my place, would he do any better? (was, were) 

2. My sister wished she-at home, (was, were) 


198 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


3. I wouldn’t act like that if I-you. (was, were) 

4. Martin leaned against the desk as if he-too weak or 

tired to stand alone, (was, were) 

5. If there -a separate department of aviation, it would 

serve the army and the navy, (was, were) 

6. If it-been for the courage of the dog, they would have 

starved where they were, (would not have, had not) 

7. If I-you, I should learn to swim, (was, were) 

8. If George-driven the car, the accident would not have 

happened, (would have, had) 

9. If I-watched the book more carefully, I should not have 

lost it. (would have, had) 

10. If it - for the brook which showed him the mountain 

lion ready to spring upon him from the tree, he would have been 
killed, (wasn’t, weren’t, hadn’t been) 

Agreement of Verb and Subject 

Which are correct? 

1. That the cost of some raw materials entering into the manu¬ 
facture of automobiles-advanced is not denied, (has, have) 

Cost, the subject of the noun clause that the cost of 
some raw materials entering into the manufacture of 

automobiles - advanced, is singular; hence has, the 

singular verb, is correct. 

2. A mousetrap is easy to make, because there-only three 

parts to it. (is, are) 

Parts, the subject of the adverb clause because 

there - only three parts to it, is plural; hence are, 

the plural verb, is correct. 

Review pages 111-118. 

Practice 9 

Choose the correct verb. What is its subject? 
Show that the subject is singular or plural. 

1. The first two years of my life in school-not so interesting 

as my sixth and seventh, (was, were) 

2. The experience of other countries - that government 

ownership of railroads-not desirable, (proves, prove) (is, are) 




CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS 199 

3. There are a large number that-these handicaps, (over¬ 

comes, overcome) 

4. The greatness of our cities-proof that democracy has 

been successful, (is, are) 

5. I am sorry to say that the goods received-damaged, (is, 

are) 

6. The seasons that Keats contrasts-summer and winter. 

(is, are) 

7. I’ve never known what sorrow or sickness-. (is, are) 

8. The duel scene between Sir Andrew and Viola is laughable, 

because neither of them-to fight and both try to appear brave. 

(wants, want) 

9. I am not sure whether she or her husband-to blame 

for all the harm done, (is, are) 

10. May we not hear from you soon, as the price of these ma¬ 
chines -going up? (is, are) 

11. It-make any difference whether or not you are a mem¬ 

ber. (doesn’t, don’t) 

12. We-sure we-on the right trail, (was, were) 

13. When the United States - formed, many compromises 

were necessary, (was, were) 

14. The new requirements for high-school graduation-better 

than the old. (is, are) 

15. We started to push the leaves away from this bump and' 

-very much surprised to see that it was a turtle, (was, 

were) 

16. Of course I didn’t know that there-poison ivy in the 

grass, (was, were) 

17. There-so many men present that when they asked me 

a question I didn’t know what to say. (was, were) 

18. One of the handkerchiefs that-given me at Christmas 

time has an initial on it. (was, were) 

19. The stranger asked whether there - any freaks in the 

circus, (was, were) 

20. The Atlantic Monthly is a magazine in which-published 

stories, essays, sketches, and miscellaneous articles, (is, are) 

Agreement of Pronoun and Antecedent 

Which are correct? 

1. If any one had an error in 
rect it. (his, their) (he, they) 


paragraph,-should cor- 
















200 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


His and he are correct, because the antecedent any 
one is singular. 

2. He found that the marks of the smokers were below-of 

the nonsmokers, (that, those) 

Those is correct, because the antecedent marks is 
plural. 

3. When a person is going on a trip,-should equip - 

with proper clothing, (he, they) (himself, themselves) 

He and himself are correct, because the antecedent 
person is singular. 

Review the explanation on pages 79 and 80. 

Practice 10 

Choose the correct words or expressions according 
to literary usage. What is the antecedent of each 
pronoun used? 

1. The city should provide vacation schools, because the pupils 

would benefit greatly by-. (it, them) 

2. If any one of you takes the trip,-should climb to the 

top of Indian Head for a view of the lakes, (he, they) 

3. Biology is helpful to a person wishing to take up farming, 

as it gives-a knowledge of plant laws, (him, them) 

4. Each one has a duty to perform whether-it or not. (he 

knows, they know) 

5. Everybody was sure-answer was correct, (his, their) 

6. In England at 4:30 every one has a cup of tea no matter 

where-. (he is, they are) 

7. If a pupil reads the books of good authors,-will remem¬ 
ber the language used and employ it in-own writings, (he, 

they, he or she) (his, their, his or her) 

8. If every one would help those less fortunate than -—, 

there would be less poverty in the world, (himself, themselves) 

9. Every one, I am sure, wastes time doing things that are of 

no use to -. (him, them) 

10. Any one that travels a great deal or is away from home needs 

to have-clothing distinctly marked, (his, their) 

11. Has anybody else a topic-would like to discuss? (he, 

they) 


CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS 201 

12. If you call up anybody on the telephone, ask-to buy a 

ticket, (him, them) 

13. Everybody who has bought this cleaner has kept us posted 

as to the results which-obtained, (he has, they have) 

14. Every one should be thankful for what-. (he has, they 

have) 

15. When anybody visits this spot,-of the heroic stand made 

here, (he thinks, they think) 

16. When any one sat on the chair,-went down, (he, they) 

17. The Senate is an important division of the government, for 

its powers are equal to-of the House of Representatives, (that, 

those) 

18. In our age every one wants as much as-can get for- 

money, (he, they) (his, their) 

19. If any pupil in this class has not read Treasure Island, I 

advise-to read it. (him, them, him or her) 

20. Has anybody else a garage-to rent? (he wants, they 

want) 


It and. They 

Which are correct? 

1. The whistle was the signal for the engineer to start; so I hur¬ 
ried as fast as I could go, and just caught-as it pulled out of 

the station, (it, the train) 

It in this sentence would have no antecedent. It 
could not refer to whistle or engineer. Hence the train 
is correct. 

2. Immigration should not be forbidden, because-is unfair 

to the poor people of other countries, (it, the prohibition of it) 

It alone in this sentence would have no antecedent 
and could not refer to immigration. The it in the 
prohibition of it has immigration as an antecedent. 

Review page 82. 


Practice 11 

Improve these sentences. Give a reason for each 
change. 


202 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


1. The pond behind our house had frozen, although in some 
places it was still thin. 

2. Europena protested that Australia shouldn’t get the green 
paint, but it was all in vain. 

3. There are some people who have not studied English; and 
when you talk with them, you can tell it. 

4. In one paper they made the statement that the house was 
set on fire. 

5. I am not becoming an artist just because they earn a great 
deal of money. 

6. A whale had upset the boat, but he did not know it. 

7. During the term days are set for book inspection, and it is 
always well to have them covered to escape a fine of ten cents. 

8. Don’t end a sentence feebly, because it is the most impor¬ 
tant part of a sentence. 

9. We went out on a picnic looking for berries. My cousin was 
an expert at it and picked twelve quarts. 

10. When I had rowed about halfway across the lake, because 
of the strong wind I had great difficulty in keeping it from tipping. 

Clearness 

By building clear sentences, make it easy for others 
to understand you. Do not use a pronoun if there 
can be for an instant doubt about its antecedent. 
Rewrite the sentence. 

Often quoting the exact words of the speaker makes 
the meaning clear. 

(Wrong) The skeleton told Longfellow that, if he did not write 
about him, he would haunt him. 

(Right) The skeleton said to Longfellow, “If you do not write 
about me, I will haunt you.” 

Sometimes it is wise to repeat a noun. 

(Wrong) Rip found his dog when he reached his home, but he 
did not know him. 

(Right) Rip found his dog when he reached his home, but the 
dog did not know him. 

Sometimes the pronoun may be placed nearer to its 
antecedent. 


CORRECT VERBS AND PRONOUNS 203 

(Wrong) In his will the dying monarch made Namgay king, 
because he had no children. 

(Right) In his will the dying monarch, because he had no 
children, made Namgay king. 

Do not use an unnecessary pronoun. 

(Wrong) In the second part it says that winter has also many 
sports to write about. 

(Right) The second part says that winter has also many 
sports to write about. 

If there can be doubt about the antecedent of a 
relative pronoun, rebuild the sentence without a 
relative or with a relative clearly connected with its 
antecedent. 

(Wrong) Finally I discovered that I had forgotten to put the 
baking powder into the cake, which caused all the 
trouble. 

(Right) Finally I discovered that my forgetting to put the 
baking powder into the cake caused all the trouble. 

Practice 12 

Improve these sentences. Give the antecedent of 
each pronoun used. 

1. He said to Arnold that study and exercise would prepare 
him for success in life. 

2. Jack’s father died before he reached his fifth year. 

3. Grace said to her sister that she would help her once a week. 

4. Dr. Livesey told the pirate that, if he did not put up his 
knife that instant, he would have him hanged. 

5. The Capitol is in Washington, District of Columbia, which 
is built of white marble. 

6. A girl Hilda knows does not want Gretel to enter the race, 
because she is afraid she will win. 

7. Parsons was dismissed, and Mr. Polly was left alone and sad 
because he cared a great deal for him. 

8. Helen’s mother got her a teacher when she was seven years 

old. 

9. He gave each of the children a quarter, which amounted to 
three dollars. 


204 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


10. Four weeks ago you sent us twenty dollars, leaving a balance 
of ten dollars, for which we thank you. 

11. When an employer gives a man a piece of work, he is not 
compelled to do it. 

12. Mrs. Irma Eaton lectured on “Lying,” which was very in¬ 
teresting and beneficial to both mother and child. 

Summary 

1. The present tense is used for the present time; 
the past tense, for past time. The present perfect 
tense is used if the action is complete at the present 
time or extends, at least in its consequences, to the 
present; the past perfect, if the action was completed 
before some past time (review). 

The present tense is used to express what is custom¬ 
ary or always true. 

Do not carelessly shift from the past tense to the 
present or from the present to the past. 

Should, would, could, and might, not shall, will, can, 
and may, are used after a past tense. 

2. In an indirect quotation use the auxiliary 
(shall, will, should, would ) that would be used if the 
quotation were direct. 

3. In other subordinate clauses shall and should 
are regularly used in all persons for the simple future; 
will and would, for wishing, consenting, and willing. 

4. The subjunctive mood is used for a wish or a 
prayer, a condition contrary to fact, and volition 
(commanding, demanding, willing) (review). 

5. A verb agrees with its subject in number and 
person (review). 

6. A pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person, 
number, and gender (review). 

7. Do not use a pronoun if there can be for an 
instant doubt about its antecedent. 


CHAPTER XVI 


COMPOUND-COMPLEX AND COMPLEX- 
COMPLEX SENTENCES 

Compound-complex Sentence 

A compound-complex sentence has two independ¬ 
ent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. 

Model for Syntax of Clauses 

1. Today many diseases are traced to the teeth, and it is realized 
that general health is often dependent upon their proper care. 

Today many diseases are traced to the teeth — independent clause 

it is realized — independent clause 

that general health is often dependent upon their proper care — 
subordinate noun clause in apposition with it 

2. Mother picked up her knitting from where it had dropped on 
the earthen floor, and soon the needles were clicking rapidly. 

Mother picked up her knitting from — independent clause 

where it had dropped on the earthern floor — subordinate noun 
clause used as the object of the preposition from 

soon the needles were clicking rapidly — independent clause 

Practice 1 

Give the syntax of the clauses in these compound- 
complex sentences: 

1 . Life is not easy, and least of all is it easy for either the man 
or the nation that aspires to do great deeds. — Roosevelt 

2. The young man in Garden City, Kansas, who buys a ready¬ 
made suit and a dollar watch is not doing so against his will, but, 
on the contrary, he cannot be stopped! 

3. I would rather have a boy of mine stand high in his studies 
than high in athletics, but I would rather have him show true man¬ 
liness of character than show either intellectual or physical prow¬ 
ess. — Roosevelt 


205 


206 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


4. Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let 
us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it. — Lincoln 

5. The butchers use everything about the hog but the squeal, 
and the consumer uses that when he is told the price of pork. 

6. By morning it was still raining and blowing, and we realized 
that August’s cold spell had arrived ahead of schedule. 

Complex-complex Sentence 

A complex sentence in which a subordinate clause 
is complex is called complex-complex. 

Syntax of Clauses 

1. The naval department announced last year that the chest' 
measurements of recruits to the United States Navy were larger 
than those of any other navy in the world. 

The naval department announced last year — independent clause 

that the chest measurements of recruits to the United States Navy 
were larger — subordinate noun clause used as the object of 
the verb announced 

than those of any other navy in the world — subordinate adverb 
clause modifying the adjective larger 

2. It seemed strange, Anne Parrish told me, that other people 
should know the characters in her books as she does. 

It seemed strange —subordinate noun clause used as the object 
of the verb told 

Anne Parrish told me — independent clause 

that other people should know the characters in her books — subor¬ 
dinate noun clause in apposition with the pronoun it 

as she does — subordinate adverb clause modifying the verb 
should know 


Practice 2 

Give the syntax of the clauses in these complex- 
complex sentences: 

1. It didn’t take Horace long to realize that the quickest way 
to get what he wanted would be to do a little more studying. 

2. The only funny thing about Kalamazoo is that anybody 
should think there was anything funny about it. 


COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES 207 


3. One of the difficulties of a writer’s life is that people have-a 
habit of imagining him wiser than he really is. 

4. One of the fascinating things about scouting is that it 
gives you knowledge that you can use, and gives you a chance to 
use it. 

5. The steadily diminishing supply of fur animals tends to prove 
that the “fur wearer” is increasing faster than the “fur bearer.” 

6. Who was it that said that the Battle of Waterloo was won on 
the playing fields of Eton or something to that effect? 

7. It has often been said dogs are more important than children 
in some lives. 

8. If a teacher is not present when the bell rings, some pupil 
should start the lesson. 

9. Girls are learning that sports will help them to attain a 
physical fitness and grace of carriage of which Lydia Languish never 
dreamed. 

10. Find out whether the water you drink is pure. 

Practice 3 

Which sentences are compound-complex? Which 
complex-complex? Give the syntax of all clauses. 

1. Mr. Rothafel said that all the ushers would be college boys 
who were still studying. 

2. I was curious to know what was on the other side of the 
fence, but no one would tell me. 

3. They thought Father Andrew was very wise, because in all 
the village he was the only one who could read. 

4. Were I to tell you which of Kipling’s stories you should read 
first, I should be at a loss. 

5. Will went swimming in the rain, just to show he was virile; 
but by afternoon it was raining in sheets and was so cold that even 
he dropped the idea of taking a walk. 

6. Just as he stooped so that the stream might trickle into his 
parched mouth, a harsh voice startled him. 

7. “If I had two small pieces of silver,” Mohammed said, “I 
would use one to buy bread and, with the other, I would buy a 
hyacinth to feed my soul.” 

8. When my parents said that I could buy a dog, I was the hap¬ 
piest boy in town. 

9. Some one has said that habit is a cable, a thread of which 
we weave each day, till at length we cannot break it. 


208 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


10. Springs are tested by representatives of the state board of 
health, and each that has been approved is plainly marked. 

Punctuation 

Study the punctuation of these sentences: 

1. If you intend to go to work, there is no better place than 
right where you are; if you do not intend to go to work, you cannot 
get along anywhere. — Lincoln 

The commas after work and work separate the intro¬ 
ductory adverb clauses from the independent clauses 
which follow. Because there is no conjunction be¬ 
tween the two parts of the compound sentence, a semi¬ 
colon separates them. 

2. Mrs. Wilbur likes to cook; and although she has as yet 
made no famous recipe, her coffee cake, whiffed from the oven, is 
delicious. 

A period follows the abbreviation Mrs. The comma 
after recipe separates the introductory adverb clause, 
although she has as yet made no famous recipe , from the 
independent clause. The nonrestrictive phrase whiffed 
from the oven is set off by commas. A semicolon sepa¬ 
rates the two parts of the compound sentence, be¬ 
cause one of them is subdivided by commas. 

3. I have heard of an uneducated man who can quote long 
passages from Shakespeare, but, to be sure, such cases are rare. 

To be sure , a parenthetical phrase, is set off by 
commas. The comma is used with but between the 
parts of the compound sentence. When a part of a 
compound sentence, especially a short one, is sub¬ 
divided by commas, either a semicolon (as in sen¬ 
tence 2) or a comma may be used between the parts. 

Review pages 150, 151, 166, 167, 175, and 176. 


COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES 209 


Practice 4 

Give the syntax of all clauses. Punctuate the sen¬ 
tences, and give a reason for each mark inserted. 

1. George Young was born in Scotland his parents moved to 
Toronto when he was a baby. 

2. They don’t know where they are going but they are on their 
way. 

3., In the long run the world is going to have the best and any 
difference in race religion or previous history will not long keep the 
world from what it wants. 

4. We thought we had been playing hockey a sporting editor 
wrote but now we begin to understand what that game really is. 

5. There is not a bad seat in the whole theater said Mr Roth- 
afel who called attention to the fact that the Roxy was the largest 
theater in the world having more than six thousand seats. 

6. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another 
but let him work diligently and build one for himself thus by exam¬ 
ple assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built. 

— Lincoln 

7. We may either browse among the poems by the old poets 
familiar to us or we may find interest in reading the poems which 
have been written in recent years by authors who are still living. 

8. What famous signer of the Declaration of Independence said 
Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today 

9. The boys will have cards and whenever they see a person 
crossing the streets against traffic they will present to that person a 
card bearing an appeal to obey the traffic regulations for safety’s 
sake. 

10. Webster who is probably the greatest orator that the Amer¬ 
ican public has ever known was not elected president. 

11. After being struck on the forehead by a stone Hamilton 
calmly said If you use such striking arguments I must retire. 

12. Well replied the farmer I raise apples just like those you 
asked the price of and the wholesaler paid me this year $3.20 for a 
bushel box or $8 a barrel which averages about two and one-half 
cents apiece. 

Building Sentences 

(Simple sentences) A loaf of “store” bread is baked and 
wrapped by automatic machinery. Did you ever stop to think of 
this? A loaf of bread costs a dime. 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


. 210 

(Complex-complex sentence) Did you ever stop to think that 
a loaf of “store” bread, which costs a dime, is baked and wrapped 
by automatic machinery? 


Practice 5 

Using the ideas in each group of sentences, build a 
forceful complex-complex sentence: 

1. Jefferson belonged to aristocratic Virginia. The state of 
Virginia was ruled by the great planters. Jefferson was neverthe¬ 
less very democratic and had great faith in the common people. 

2. There were many speakers, of course, including Senator 
Tillman. Senator Tillman hated the Charlestonians. He regarded 
them as aristocrats and told them so. 

3. One of Loraine’s aunts doesn’t care for her. Loraine learned 
from her brother that she will have to live with this aunt the rest of 
her life. 

4. The Black Knight asked who would go to the castle and try 
to help Cedric escape. No one except Wamba volunteered. 

5. The facts prove that in the world of labor the nondrinking 
man is the successful one. In the world of labor, competition re¬ 
quires keen minds. 

6. Without the aid of tiny, black insects the sealing-wax in¬ 
dustry could not thrive. It is hard to imagine this. These insects 
inhabit the bark of a tree in India. 

7. If all insect-eating birds in this country were killed off, in a 
comparatively few years all our forests would be utterly destroyed 
by various kinds of insects. Every one should know this. 

8. Golf, tennis, swimming, skating, and riding offer as much 
diversion and exercise as any sport. They require less muscle and 
endurance than football. These sports, it seems to me, are best 
suited to women. 

9. Mr. Edison removed the Edison black hat, exposing a nest 
of flying white hair. In the center of this nest, like a nobly laid pink 
egg, was revealed a portion of his impressive skull. That skull has 
hatched more ideas than any other mind of his age. 

10. In the story there is a description of a desert. Over it Hank 
Wheeler staggered. When you read this description, you seem to 
feel the heat of the desert rising to your face. 

11. The college girl of this generation is taller, heavier, and 
better developed than the girl of her mother’s generation. Several 
physicians found this out by making a study of the records kept by 
the physical training departments of girls’ colleges. 


COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES 211 


12. Columbus was the forerunner of many other explorers. 
They rounded out the geographical knowledge of which he was the 
founder. 


Practice 6 

On plays, books, camp life, travel, great Americans, 
poems, radio, a first experience, dogs, queer people, 
your neighborhood, city, or the importance of good 
English, write six forceful complex-complex sentences. 

Silent Reading 

Practice 7 

Give the syntax of the clauses in these sentences. 
What is the subject of each clause? The verb? Para¬ 
phrase each sentence; that is, give its meaning in your 
own words. 

1. The importance of the work done by Dr. Beebe’s expeditions 
was emphasized recently when it was announced that microscopic 
eggs, brought by a deep-sea dredge from the edge of Challenger 
Bank, a shoal southwest of Bermuda, had been hatched out and 
proved to be eels. 

2. Literary authorities have read Conrad’s title clear to a place 
among the great romantic writers of all times, but his own career, 
say those who are interested in life rather than in literature, is 
stranger, more romantic, and more significant, than his greatest 
story. 

3. That a Polish boy, with an unpronounceable name, unable to 
speak a word of English until he was nearly nineteen years old, 
should have reached the place in English letters which Conrad held 
when he died, is certainly a climax of both romance and realism. 

4. And as a hare, whom horns and hounds pursue, 

Pants to the place from whence at first she flew, 

I still had hopes, my long vexations past, 

Here to return — and die at home at last. — Goldsmith 

5. Oh, to be in England 
Now that April’s there, 

And whoever wakes in England 
Sees, some morning unaware, 


212 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf 
Round the elm tree bole are in tiny leaf, 

While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough 
In England — now! — Browning 

6. He must be a born leader or misleader of men, or must have 
been sent into the world unfurnished with that modulating and 
restraining balance-wheel which we call a sense of humor, who, in his 
old age, has as strong confidence in his opinions and in the necessity 
of bringing the universe into conformity with them as he had in 
youth. — Lowell 

Summary 

1. A compound-complex sentence has two inde¬ 
pendent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. 

2. A complex sentence in which a subordinate 
clause is complex is called complex-complex. 

3. When the clauses of a compound sentence are 
long and are subdivided by commas, a semicolon 
precedes the conjunction. When the clauses are short, 
either a comma or a semicolon is placed before the 
conjunction. 

4. Paraphrasing is giving the meaning of a selection 
in one’s own words. 


CHAPTER XVII 


SIMPLE, COMPOUND, AND COMPLEX 
SENTENCES 

Elliptical Sentences 

We sometimes omit words which are important 
grammatically but which are not necessary to make 
our meaning clear. The sentence of which one or 
more such words are omitted is elliptical. 

Answers to Questions 

Where are you going? [I am going] Home. 

Who is there? I [am here]. 

What do you want? [I want] Nothing. 

How old are you? [I am] Ten years [old]. 

Whose book is this? [It is] Jack’s [book]. 

Clauses Introduced by Than or As 

Manual’s football team was stronger this year than [it was 
strong] last year. 

A goose is not so wise as a fox [is wise]. 

Word Introducing a Subordinate Clause 

I think [that] you ought to know the writings of Robert Louis 
Stevenson. 

The book [that] you lent me is most entertaining. 

Had the rain [if the rain had] lasted an hour longer we could not 
have finished our game. 

Subject, Verb, or Subject and Verb 

If [it is] possible, complete this chapter tonight. 

While [I was] waiting for the car, I saw a girl whose painted and 
powdered face looked like that of a circus clown. 

If [it is] necessary, I shall come earlier. 

213 


214 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


He is unhappy, though [he is] prosperous and popular. 

When [he was] about thirty years old, he began to study law. 
[That is] All right, I shall go tomorrow. 

[I] Thank you. 

Why [do you] not try harder to master your French? 

[You] Come here. 


Avoiding Repetition 

Warren Skelton is president; James Murphy [is], secretary. 

I shall attend the meeting if I can [attend it]. 

I shall not go to the concert unless you wish to [go]. 

Practice 1 

Insert in brackets the grammatically important 
words which have been omitted because they are not 
necessary to make the meaning clear: 

1. Among savage peoples the sense of smell is much keener than 
among civilized races. 

2. While going along the main street of Peking, I passed a long 
train of camels carrying bags of coal on their backs. 

3. “In war you can be killed but once,” Mr. Churchill has said, 
“but in politics many times.” 

4. Hindus are idolaters, and would die rather than eat the sa¬ 
cred flesh of cow or bull. 

5. And seldom am I more ashamed than when I break my word 
with myself. 

6. The sight of a gang of laborers digging a ditch for a water or 
gas main in a modern city will soon be as rare as a giant firecracker 
on the Fourth of July. 

7. The next day, while in St. Kitts, I purchased a young mon¬ 
key. 

8. A tiger is physically stronger than a lion. 

9. Let me see your notebook. 

10. “Next stop Poughkeepsie! Po-o-o-o-k-e-e-e-psie!” 

“My station,” said the sandy-haired man. “Good night, 
gentlemen.” 

11. “Where’s that story?” asked the editor. 

“What story?” said Dash. 

12. Through the last year of school the value of knowledge be¬ 
comes more obvious, and the desire for it greater. 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 215 

13. “What day did you return from your trip to the moun¬ 
tains with your father?” Ned asked. 

“On June 14, in the afternoon.” 

14. “How many did you say?” asked the clerk. 

“Twelve — an even dozen,” replied the customer. 

15. Harry is taller than his father. 

Practice 2 

Write eight elliptical sentences or jot down eight 
good elliptical sentences you hear in class or out of 
class. 


Syntactical Redundance 

Practice 3 

After reviewing the explanation on pages 139 and 
140, correct the following sentences. Show that the 
words omitted have no work to do in the sentences. 

1. The captain he was very angry when he heard this. 

2. It was against such interference in foreign affairs that Wash¬ 
ington warned us against. 

3. The only day on which he can play baseball is on Saturday. 

4. While traveling in the West, the salesman met a young 
woman with whom he fell in love with. 

5. The part of the day that I enjoy most is in the evening. 

6. The book from which I took the incident from is Huckle¬ 
berry Finn. 

7. The article also tells of how his grandfather helped to build 
up Chicago. 

8. The house to which he went to was vacant. 

9. The thieves, when they heard the gun and saw one of their 
companions drop dead, they fled. 

10. The crate in which Buck was in was opened. 

11. The man who works for six dollars a day at five o’clock he 
goes home feeling that his day’s work is ended. 

12. He asked to whom the beautiful house belonged to. 

13. The essay tells of how a person should treat dogs. 

14. The speaker said that since Americans are strong and brave, 
that gentleness should be an outstanding American trait. 

15. I wish to consult with my attorney before deciding. 


216 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Incorrect Omissions 


Subjects, verbs, pronouns, prepositions, and con¬ 
junctions needed to make the meaning clear are 
sometimes omitted. 


(Wrong) Lincoln wore an old hat that his wife hated but could 
not make him get a new one. 

(Right) Lincoln wore an old hat that his wife hated, but she 
could not make him get a new one. 

The verb could make of the second independent 
clause must have a subject. 


(Awkward) 

(Better) 

(Wrong) 

(Right) 


The scholarship record of girls in high school is as 
high and sometimes higher than that of the boys. 
The scholarship record of girls in high school is as 
high as that of boys, and sometimes higher. 

It is an age since I have seen or heard from you. 

It is an age since I have seen you or heard from you. 


In the wrong sentence the same you is used as the 
object of the verb have seen and the preposition from. 
A word may be the object of two verbs or of two prepo¬ 
sitions, but not of one verb and one preposition. 

(Wrong) We hoped to defeat Lincoln School, as we had Horace 
Mann School. 

(Right) We hoped to defeat Lincoln School, as we had beaten 
Horace Mann School. 


If it were correct to say had defeat , the first sentence 
would be right. 

(Colloquial or wrong) The principal was very pleased with the 
speeches of the new officers. 

(Right) The principal was very much pleased with the speeches 

of the new officers. 

(Wrong) While driving to Niagara Falls, the weather was 
pleasant. 

(Right) While we were driving to Niagara Falls, the weather 
was very pleasant. 

The wrong sentence seems to say that the weather 
was driving to Niagara Falls. 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 217 

(Wrong) When about four years of age, his parents moved to 
Griff House. 

(Right) When he was about four years old, his parents moved 
to Griff House. 

The wrong sentence seems to say that his parents 
were four years old. 

Review pages 140, 141, and 142. 

Pkactice 4 

Supply the needed word or words. Give a reason 
for each change. 

1. It has always been my intention to enlarge my supply of 
books, but have never been able to do so. 

2. When filled with hydrogen gas, the opening in the balloon is 
closed. 

3. When ten years old, Frank’s mother scolded him for teasing 
a little boy. 

4. When ready to go home, the fish should be strung on a stick. 

5. We don’t know so much about the Wanderers except they 
have a baseball team and can play ball. 

6. While walking through the woods, it began to rain. 

7. There are two types of people who always have and always 
will exist. 

8. While reading this book, many incidents aroused my sym¬ 
pathy. 

9. His mother at first is unwilling to let him go, fearing that he 
might come to harm, but finally receives his mother’s consent. 

10. This is paint like you use on houses. 

11. One day while playing on the sidewalk, the kindergarten 
teacher asked me whether I would like to go to school. 

12. James made a chain for Marie like he had made for her sister. 

13. Browning’s poetry was more forceful than almost any other 
writer in England at the time. 

14. No sooner had she begun she realized her mistake. 

15. Studying a magazine is more interesting than a book. 

16. One day while trudging home, my ears felt so cold that I 
stopped at a neighbor’s. 

17. When only a child, her father was elected to Congress. 

18. To graduate junior high school a pupil must pass all his 
subjects. 


218 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


19. Everybody was very delighted with the singing of Hazel 
Brooks. 

20. The record of our baseball team is as good as or better than 
last year’s team. 


Parallel Structure 

What does and connect in sentence 1? In sentence 
2? In sentence 3? 

1. (Wrong) The English sparrow is a hardy bird introduced 
into our country from Europe about 1850 and which is now found 
in all parts of the land. 

2. The English sparrow is a hardy bird which was introduced 
into our country about 1850 and which is now found in all parts of 
the land. 

3. The English sparrow is a hardy bird introduced into this 
country about 1850 and now found in all parts of the land. 

4. The English sparrow, a hardy bird which was introduced into 
this country about 1850, is now found in all parts of the land. 

The first sentence is incorrect, because and con¬ 
nects the phrase introduced into our country from 
Europe about 1850 and the clause which is now found 
in all parts of the land. In the second sentence and 
connects two clauses. What are they? In the third 
sentence and connects two phrases. What are they? 
In the fourth sentence, the best sentence of the group, 
there is no and. These are the three ways to correct a 
sentence in which and connects a phrase and a clause: 
change the phrase to a clause, change the clause to a 
phrase, get rid of and. 

Reread the explanation of parallel structure on 
pages 144 and 145. 

Practice 5 

Explain just what the error in each sentence is, and 
correct the sentence. Give the syntax of every sub¬ 
ordinate clause used. If you use and or but, show that 
the conjunction connects like grammatical elements. 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 219 

I. The gun, old and rusty, and which stood in a corner, was my 
grandfather’s. 

Z. Frank Tolley keeps as a pet a royal eagle captured near the 
crater of Mount Vesuvius, and which has been thoroughly domesti¬ 
cated. 

3. Jack Rollins of Oneida, New York, famous as a football 
player at Holy Cross College and who was coach at the Polytechnic 
Institute four years, has been signed as athletic director by Clark¬ 
son Institute. 

4. About three yards from the curve is an elevation approxi¬ 
mately eight inches high, and which is about one yard wide. 

5. Treasure Island is good not only from the point of view of 
interest, but also because the style is easy and flowing. 

6. I have not done much to improve my vocabulary except 
to look up the words I don’t know and learning their meanings. 

7. A chipmunk is a little larger than a field mouse, brown 
color, and lives on nuts. 

8. Kate Douglas Wiggin spoke to two assemblies about pleasing 
English and how to speak correctly. 

9. The author presents the two tj^pes of women, the helpful 
and those who render no service to others. 

10. The bully said he had had enough and for Edward to leave 
him alone. 

II. He describes the social life of the early Wisconsin settlers, 
their home life, and how they helped each other. 

12. The chipmunk is very much like the squirrel, having a bushy 
tail, feeding on nuts, and very quick, and it has a striped back. 

13. My height is four feet eight inches and weigh about ninety 
pounds. 

14. I think if you will follow my directions and by inquiring oc¬ 
casionally, you will find your way. 

15. Gallegher was a freckle-faced boy of high-school age with a 
pug nose who had a happy-go-lucky nature and full of mischief. 

16. The friend went to room 1356, occupied by the Pratts and 
for which they pay sixteen dollars a day. 

17. I prefer to write of something in which I find pleasure or have 
enjoyed. 

18. The purpose of the book is to give the public a better knowl¬ 
edge of Roosevelt, and what true Americanism is. 

19. When the work of the day is at its close or during his leisure 
time, he goes to the city for amusement. 

20. Jerry’s talk was criticized as being interesting and that he 
mispronounced girl. 


220 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Arrangement 

Which is clearer? 

1. Collins said that the cold weather did not interfere with his 
pitching to reporters at the game. 

2. To reporters at the game Collins said that the cold weather 
did not interfere with his pitching. 

To reporters at the game modifies said and should be 
placed in the principal clause, which is to reporters at 
the game Collins said . 


Practice 6 

Improve the arrangement of these sentences. Give 
a reason for each change. 

1. The plot was acquired from Mrs. Carnegie a year ago, who 
had held it to protect her home. 

2. A person who has to be told to do a thing two or three times 
will not advance rapidly in business. 

3. This year’s hero of baseball, before going on a hunting trip, 
posed beside a stuffed man-eating lion in the Oakland Museum, 
killed by H. A. Snow. 

4. She gets exactly what she needs promptly. 

5. When two persons are talking who do not know how to con¬ 
verse, they find it hard to make their ideas clear and entertaining. 

6. Every one should face the future with a smile, whether young 
or old. 

7. The new assignment was dictated, which was a test on 
Robinson Crusoe. 

8. When I reached home, I noticed I only had three books. 

9. As Robin Hood got nearer, he saw coming in the other direc¬ 
tion a tall man towards the bridge. 

10. Before speaking you must know the topic thoroughly on 
which you are going to talk. 

Practice 7 

Correct all errors. Explain each error in grammar. 
Give a reason for each change. In some sentences 
there are two or three errors. Three sentences are 
correct. 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 


221 


1. Their is joy and sorrow in Little Women. 

2. A few girls and myself laid down against a very large tree. 

3. If I would have known his story, I would have treated him 
differently. 

4. There were no sails on the ship. 

5. Don’t you wish you was as smart as her? 

6. My brother is younger than I. 

7. Most of the girls, including myself, had only three previous 
riding lessons. 

8. Edward said he was at a party the night before. 

9. A person don’t have to answer you unless they want to_. 

10. He don’t go to this school any more, but I haven’t heard 
about him going to another. 

11. Think of the difference between the way the grand duke and 
me was raised. 

12. He wanted to get this here dirk that was laying in the bottom 
of the boat. 

13. After we were riding for about an hour, we came to a corner 
where three streets crossed. 

14. An odd feeling comes over one as they dive into the water 
for the first time. 

15. Tom Sawyer said my aunt wouldn’t let any one else white¬ 
wash the fence I bet none of you could whitewash as good as me 
then all the boys wanted to help him he received an apple, a kite, 
and marbles for letting them help him. 

16. When we were dancing for about two hours, some one sug¬ 
gested to go automobile riding for an hour or so. 

17. It takes a great deal of practice to be a baseball player be¬ 
cause you have to learn to hit a speedy ball and how to catch it. 

18. At the gate was their two dogs, which they had forgot. 

19. May I borrow your pen? 

20. Do them papers get marked? 


Punctuation 

Comma 

The comma is used after the salutation of a friendly 
letter and the complimentary close of any letter. 

Dear Ernest, 

Yours truly, 


222 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Semicolon 

1. The semicolon is used to separate the items of 
an enumeration if they are subdivided by commas. 

2. Namely, for instance, for example, that is, and as, 
when introducing enumerations and explanations, are 
preceded by the semicolon or the dash and followed 
by the comma. 

A noun is a name; as, potato, John, dog. 

A restrictive modifier limits the word modified; that is, it makes 
a general word more specific in its application. 

Colon 

1. Use the colon after the salutation of a business 
letter. 

Dear Mr. Reed: 

2. The colon is used to introduce a list, an illustra¬ 
tion, or a long or formal quotation or statement. 

Some appositives are not set off: Cousin Jim, she herself. 

Then the question came to him: If they met, what had he to 
say to her? 

Speaking at a banquet last week, Edward of Wales urged upon 
steady-going Britons the slogan: “Adopt! Adapt! Improve!” 

If such introducing word or word-group as thus, this, 
these, as follows, the following, or these words is used, the 
colon follows it. 

The one big drawback to this quick-step existence is this: Na¬ 
ture doesn’t like it a bit. 

The three largest cities in the United States are the following: 
New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. 

Note that the colon is not used in the following 
sentence: 

The three largest cities in the United States are New York, 
Chicago, Philadelphia. 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 


223 


Interrogation Point 

An interrogation point is used after a direct question. 

Where are you going? 

An interrogation point is not used after an indirect 
question. 

He asked where I was going. 

The interrogation point is not used after a request 
courteously worded in interrogative form. 

Will you please hand in the report before nine o’clock tomorrow 
morning. 

Will you please send me your latest catalog. 

Exclamation Point 

The exclamation point is used to mark an expression 
of strong or sudden feeling. 

“All is well and Cornwallis is taken!” shouted the old watchman. 

When he rose to speak, his enemies cried, “Butcher! Torturer! 
Nero! Judas! Hypocrite!” 

“Oh, what a glorious morning is this!” said Adams. 

Notice the comma after the interjection oh. An 
interjection which is a real exclamation is followed by 
an exclamation point. 


Dash 

1. The dash is used to indicate some sudden change 
in sense or grammatical construction. 

Silkworms produce silks for our ties that have almost the strength 
of — well, think of something strong. 

“It is much worse than having the measles” — so says Booth 
Tarkington, when asked how he likes writing a novel. 

I am not ashamed to confess that twenty-five years ago I was a 
hired laborer, mauling rails, at work on a flatboat — just what might 
happen to any poor man’s son. — Lincoln 

2. Dashes may be used to make parenthetical, ap- 
positive, or explanatory matter stand out clearly. 


224 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Dashes are less formal and more common than paren¬ 
theses. 

Horace asked his father to take him into his office and give him 
a job — any sort of job — office boy or anything else. 

Bill Harris was a busy man — also a very successful man. 

The power of the polar bear to resist ice-cold water — nay, even to 
enjoy it — may fairly be regarded as one of the wonders of Nature. 

The club continued a type of drawing begun last term — figure 
drawing. 

We managed to half-cook supper — bacon, fried potatoes, and 
beans, of course — over a sputtering fire under the flap of the tent. 

3. The dash is used before a word that sums up 
preceding particulars. 

Good health, good poise, good muscles, a balanced physical 
development, the creation of a reserve fund of bodily energy — all 
these advantages are derived by women from their contact with 
sports. 

Then other horses, wagons, motors, feet of men, some other 
clanging cars — the sounds grow blurred, the roar resumes. 

Parentheses 

Parentheses are used to inclose some side remark 
that does not affect the structure of the sentence. 

If you must chew (and remember that chewing gum is not a re¬ 
fined habit), let it be within the four walls of your own room. 

Apostrophe 

The apostrophe is used (1) to denote possession, (2) 
to take the place of an omitted letter, and (3) to form 
the plural of letters, figures, and signs. 

Jerry’s little brother is making Vs, &’s, and 6’s. 

He doesn’t think you’re right. 

Review pages 51-62, 131, 132, 150, 151, 166, 167, 
175, 176, 185, 186, and 208. 

Practice 8 

Punctuate. Give a reason for each mark inserted. 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 225 

1. Great Scott I answered I ha vent thought about the matter 
since 

2. Ten cents apiece repeated the inquirer Not on your life I 
object to being robbed when I know it Ten cents for an apple 

3. Work hard it wont hurt you 

4. As for Oshkosh what are the comic values in Oshkosh 

5. Why one of the worlds most advertised horses was named 
Spinach which is the English equivalent for Epinard no one seems 
to know. 

6. Drink water regularly one glass before breakfast one in the 
forenoon one in the afternoon one before going to bed and one with 
each meal six or eight glasses a day 

7. When Buster Keaton used in a moving picture several hun¬ 
dred head of cattle a train a vast extent of railroad including the 
depot the main street of Los Angeles crowds of spectators shops a 
police force and a fire-brigade we were forced to realize that laughter 
is necessary to the well-being of mankind 

8. Flowers messages telegrams he brought them over all in 
order 

9. The men in the town seem more or less the same the women 
but why go on 

10. It happened in southern Russia Odessa to be exact in the 
spring of 1919 

11. With Miss Reed presiding the club then elected its officers 
for the coming term Catherine Spinney president Marion Weill vice 
president Sarah Spar secretary 

12. A few days after they received a telegram saying the child is 
on its way and will arrive on the four fifteen train 

13. As Titania is about to leave Oberon tells her that he will 
get the boy at some later time 

14. When I was going down for the second time Jim who was an 
excellent swimmer dived in after me 

15. A short time after Chad returned home he married Margaret 
whom he had always loved 

16. In the book I read The Call of the Wild by Jack London my 
pity was aroused when Buck was taken away by a man 

17. On Friday hearing the cry again he called Pussy Pussy come 
here 

18. Here Harris he cried Settle this question for us will you 
(Notice a use of the comma which is not covered by any rule you 
have had: “That’s good advice, isn’t it?”) 

19. Think of all the things there are in the world that challenge 


226 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


a boys ambition secrets of the earth air and sky to be wrung out of 
nature rivers to be crossed vast monstrous powers of nature to be 
leashed songs to be sung pictures to paint cathedrals to build tyrants 
evil-doers and injustices to fight communities to lead into peace and 
happiness 

20. In short in life as in a football game the principle to follow is 
Hit the line hard dont foul and dont shirk but hit the line hard 

— Roosevelt 

21. School mind you cant ever give you all you ought to know 

22. Todays little girl says Miss Collett can be as much a tomboy 
as she likes in her khaki knickers and middy blouse 

23. A wallaby is as you probably know an Australian animal 

24. Some children and I was one of them cannot learn to live 
well without an occasional spanking 

25. When I left Roosevelt gave me a list of the birds that we had 
seen while at Pine Knot and hoped that I would some time write up 
the trip 

26. About the middle of May when all nature was at its best an 
automobile stopped in front of Farmer Jenkss house which stood 
some one hundred and fifty feet back from the highway was painted 
white and though unpretentious had an air of solid comfort 

27. If you want to be a leader if you want to be worth your salt 
get all the information you can specific or general 

28. With the same set of features and other attributes the out¬ 
door girl should be and usually is more attractive than her house- 
loving sister since the former has a better complexion a better 
figure a brighter pair of eyes and a happier smile 

29. Tell me what kind of books a man reads it has been said and 
I will tell you what kind of man he is 

30. What are you laughing at dear asked a mother of a small 
daughter who seemed to be greatly amused 

31. Is yours the type of home that prompts a guest to say How 
like you it all is 

32. General Conway who had been serving in France was disap¬ 
pointed because Washington did not give him higher rank 

33. The clerk then calls Oyez Oyez the old French for Hear ye 
Hear ye 

34. Just think only a short time ago I didnt know a word of 
French 

35. Every transcontinental traveler has heard the high-pitched 
staccato cry half-howl and half-bark with which the coyote or prairie 
wolf announces the dawn 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 227 

36. My office operates on the barber-shop principle first come 
first served 

37. He couldnt spare the time to study science literature history 
all the fascinating things well-read people talk about 

38. The states bordering on the Great Lakes depend for their 
very lives on cheap and convenient transportation for their prod¬ 
ucts wheat meat ores lumber and manufactured goods 

39. From the year 1889 on Kiplings stories and ballads follow 
fast although strange to say the tales of India found no market here 
in America 

40. I decided to become a musher one who drives dogs 

Silent Reading 

Practice 9 

Give the syntax of the clauses in these sentences. 
What is the subject of each clause? The verb? If 
there is in the clause an object of a verb, a predicate 
nominative, or a predicate adjective, what is it? 
Paraphrase each sentence: that is, give its meaning 
in your own words. 

1. Had you rather that Caesar were living and die all slaves, than 
that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen? — Shakespeare 

2. All in a hot and copper sky 
The bloody sun at noon 

Right up above the mast did stand 
No bigger than the moon. — Coleridge 

3. And the woods, against a stormy sky, 

Their giant branches tossed. — Hemans 

4. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, 

Where wealth accumulates, and men decay. — Goldsmith 

5. Full many a gem of purest ray serene 

The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear. — Gray 

6. In the Old Colony days, in Plymouth, the land of the Pil¬ 

grims, 

To and fro in a room of his simple and primitive dwelling, 
Clad in doublet and hose, and boots of Cordovan leather, 
Strode, with a martial air, Miles Standish, the Puritan cap¬ 
tain. — Longfellow 



228 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


7. Out ’twixt the battery-smokes there flew 
A rider, bound on bound 
Full-galloping; nor bridle drew 

Until he reached the mound. — Browning 

8. Rome’s azure sky, 

Flowers, ruins, statues, music, words are weak 
The glory they transfuse with fitting truth to speak. 

— Shelley 

9. Never yet 

Was noble man but made ignoble talk. 

He makes no friends who never made a foe. — Tennyson 

10. And he shall give 

Counsel out of his wisdom that none shall hear; 

And steadfast in vain persuasion must he live, 

And unabated 

Shall his temptation be. — Drinkwater 

11. Irks care the crop-full bird? Frets doubt the maw-crammed 

beast? — Browning 

12. And not by eastern windows only, 

When daylight comes, comes in the light, 

In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly, 

But westward, look, the land is bright. — Clough 

13. At Aershot, up leaped of a sudden the sun, 

And against him the cattle stood black every one, 

To stare thro’ the mist at us galloping past, 

And I saw my stout galloper Roland, at last, 

With resolute shoulders, each butting away 
The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray. 

— Browning 

14. Th’ applause of listening senates to command, 

The threats of pain and ruin to despise, 

To scatter plenty o’er a smiling land, 

And read their history in a nation’s eyes, 

Their lot forbade. — Gray 

15. A shadowy conception of power that by much persuasion 
can be induced to refrain from inflicting harm, is the shape most 
easily taken by the sense of the Invisible in the minds Of men who 
have always been pressed close by primitive wants, and to whom a 
life of hard toil has never been illuminated by any enthusiastic 
religious faith. — George Eliot 


SIMPLE SENTENCES AND OTHERS 


229 


Summary 

1. An elliptical sentence is one in which words 
which are important grammatically but are not 
necessary to make the meaning clear are omitted. 

2. Syntactical redundance is using a word or ex¬ 
pression that has no work to do in the sentence (re¬ 
view). 

3. Subjects, verbs, pronouns, prepositions, and 
conjunctions needed to make the meaning clear are 
sometimes omitted. 

4. Coordinate conjunctions connect like gram¬ 
matical elements (review). 

5. The sentence should be so arranged that the 
reader will see at a glance to what word each modifier 
belongs (review). 

Comma 

6. The comma is used after the salutation of a 
friendly letter and the complimentary close of a 
letter. 


Semicolon 

7. The semicolon is used to separate the items of 
an enumeration if they are subdivided by commas. 

8. Namely, for instance, for example, that is, and as, 
when introducing enumerations and explanations, are 
preceded by the semicolon or the dash and followed by 
the comma. 


Colon 

9. Use the colon after the salutation of a business 
letter. 

10. The colon is used to introduce a list, an illus¬ 
tration, or a long or formal quotation or statement. 


230 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Interrogation Point 

11. An interrogation point is used after a direct 
question. 

Exclamation Point 

12. The exclamation point is used to mark an ex¬ 
pression of strong or sudden feeling. 

Dash 

13. The dash is used to indicate some sudden change 
in sense or grammatical construction. 

14. Dashes may be used to make parenthetical, 
appositive, or explanatory matter stand out clearly. 

15. The dash is used before a word that sums up 
preceding particulars. 


Parentheses 

16. Parentheses are used to inclose some side re¬ 
mark that does not affect the structure of the sentence. 

Apostrophe 

17. The apostrophe is used (1) to denote possession, 
(2) to take the place of an omitted letter, (3)'to form 
the plural of letters, figures, and signs. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


SENTENCE SENSE 

Phrase, Subordinate Clause, and Sentence 

A phrase has neither subject nor predicate; a clause 
has a subject and a predicate. A sentence or an inde¬ 
pendent clause makes complete sense — really says 
something — when standing alone; a subordinate 
clause as a rule does not. 

Practice 1 

Which of the following are phrases? Subordinate 
clauses? Sentences? 

1. On the shores of Lake Oneida about thirty miles from Syra¬ 
cuse. 

2. One summer I camped on the shores of Lake Oneida. 

3. While we were cooking our dinner of potatoes, green peas, 
and spring chicken on the shores of Lake Oneida. 

4. Last seen on the front seat of Mrs. Tonser’s Lincoln parked 
at Ninetieth Street and Broadway. 

5. Spunk was last seen on the front seat of the car. 

6. When I saw Spunk on the front seat of Mrs. Tonser’s car. 

7. On Saturday evening we reached Quebec. 

8. Because it was Saturday evening when we reached Quebec, 
where one hears more French than English. 

9. Having arrived at Quebec late on Saturday evening, August 
12, and hearing most of the people speaking French. 

10. In the ninth inning of the game between Manual and Voca¬ 
tional with the score tied, the bases full, and two out. 

11. Just as our home run hitter came to the bat in the ninth 
inning with the bases full, the score tied, and nobody out. 

12. It was the second half of the ninth inning. 

Half-Sentence and Comma Blunder 

A half-sentence or a comma blunder is a black blot 
on a composition, because it shows that the writer is 

231 


232 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


ignorant about sentences. These errors are some¬ 
times called “ baby’s mistakes.” 

Half-Sentence 

When a period is used after a part of a sentence that 
does not make complete sense when standing alone, 
the fraction of a sentence is called a half-sentence. 

An exception is the elliptical sentence in which the 
subject and predicate of the principal clause are 
omitted. 

Welcome to our city. (You are welcome to our city.) 

When did you see him? On Saturday. (I saw him on Saturday.) 

Review the examples on pages 1, 2, and 213. 

No Verb 

(Wrong) Today I received two blankets. A pink and a blue one. 

(Right) Today I received two blankets, a pink and a blue one. 

Because every sentence has a verb, a pink and a 
blue one is a half-sentence, which should be added to 
the preceding sentence. 

Many authors occasionally use half-sentences in¬ 
tentionally. Perhaps your teacher will not object to 
your using now and then a half-sentence if you place 
an asterisk before it and write “ half-sentence ” at 
the bottom of the page. But first make sure that you 
always know a half-sentence when you see it. 

Practice 2 

What is the half-sentence in each of these? Correct. 

1. Cows, chickens, and horses were about. Also pigs. 

2. It told of the hard work the farmers had to do in the summer 
and the autumn. Their lonely life in the winter. 

3. Bellevue Hotel is situated in a fashionable part of Hyde Park. 
Rooms with board forty dollars a week. 

4. He tells of wild flowers of hundreds of varieties. The life of 
small animals in summer and in winter. 


SENTENCE SENSE 


233 


5. John Keats has given unity to the poem by comparing the 
cricket and the grasshopper. And also by his comparison of summer 
and winter. 

Participle and Infinitive 

Participles and infinitives do not make statements 
and therefore never take the place of the verb of the 
sentence. 

(Half-sentence) Interbrook Lodge located five hundred feet 
above the village of Keene Valley on a trail to Mount Marcy. 

(Sentence) Interbrook Lodge is located five hundred feet above 
the village of Keene Valley on a trail to Mount Marcy. 

The first is a half-sentence; the participle located 
does not make a statement. The second is a sentence; 
the verb is located makes a statement. 

(Wrong) The second is a picture of winter and its cold, lone 
evenings. The fire blazing away and giving out its 
warmth. 

(Right) The second, a picture of winter and its cold, lone 
evenings, shows the fire blazing away and giving 
out its warmth. 

The second part of the wrong example is a half¬ 
sentence, because the participles blazing aijd giving do 
not make statements. In the right sentence the verb 
shows makes a statement. 

Practice 3 

Correct the following. Show that in each of your 
sentences there is a verb that makes a statement. 

1. The Disinherited Knight overthrew Bois-Guilbert by hitting 
him with his lance. Thereby unhorsing him. 

2. Up the tree ran the cat with Sport after her. The cat spitting 
and humping her back. 

3. Lord Bridgewater’s family took part in the play. His sister 
taking the part of the Lady. 

4. The mariner sights a speck in the ocean. First looking like 
a speck, then like a mist, always seeming to dodge a water sprite. 
At last taking a certain shape. 


234 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


5. A lengthening of the school day would increase the heating 
and lighting expenses. Thus raising the taxes. 

6. He talks about the heat of summer and the cold and frost of 
winter. Thus securing variety and increasing the interest of the 
reader. 

7. An old established high-class family hotel famed for comfort 
and excellent cuisine. 


Subordinate Clause 

Most half-sentences have verbs that make state¬ 
ments. These verbs, however, are in subordinate 
clauses, and the half-sentences do not make sense 
when standing alone. 

(Wrong) After Gurth gave Isaac the money. They talked for a 
while. 

(Right) After Gurth gave Isaac the money, they talked for a 
while. 

Although after Gurth gave Isaac the money has in it 
the verb gave , the expression does not make sense 
when standing alone. It is an adverb clause intro¬ 
duced by the subordinate conjunction after and 
modifying talked. 

(Wrong) The Boyhood of a Naturalist is a story of a boy’s life 
on a farm in Wisconsin. The hardships and trials 
this youth went through. 

(Right) The Boyhood of a Naturalist, a story of a boy’s life on 
a farm in Wisconsin, tells of the hardships and trials 
this youth went through. 

In the wrong example, the hardships and trials he 
went through does not sdy anything and does not make 
sense when standing alone. He must go through is 
an adjective clause modifying hardships and trials; 
there is no independent clause. 

Practice 4 

Correct the following. If necessary, supply a sub¬ 
ject and a verb to make an independent clause. Pick 


SENTENCE SENSE 


235 


out the simple subject and the verb of each clause in 
your correct sentence. Give the syntax of all sub¬ 
ordinate clauses. 

1. Wamba showed his heroism when he went to get men to help 
Cedric. Also when he dressed up as a priest and went into the castle. 

2. A poem by Hagedorn about a peddler who studies the crowds 
of people passing him daily until he can look into their innermost 
thoughts. 

3. This book consists of several short stories. The most famous 
of which are “The Man Who Would Be King” and “Wee Willie 
Winkie.” 

4. The poet says that the bird will soon be with its comrades in 
the south. And that it will not get lost, because God is guiding it 
along the right path just as he guides us in life. 

5. It was a stifling hot day. One of those days on which one does 
not feel inclined to work. 

6. If you will be kind enough to look into the matter as soon as 
possible. 

7. Variety is lent by contrasting the seasons. The summer when 
the birds hide in the trees and the winter evenings when the frost 
brings a silence. 

8. One week last summer while I was camping with some friends 
at Hull Creek. 

Practice 5 

Pick out the half-sentence in each of the following. 
Show that it is a half-sentence. Correct. Then prove 
that you have written no half-sentence. 

1. Gray’s “ Elegy ” is popular because of the beauty of the lan¬ 
guage. Also because the poem shows the difference between the rich 
and the poor. 

2. Since 1882 many immigration laws have been passed. One 
requiring the immigrants to undergo thorough physical examination 
in our ports, another imposing the literacy test. 

3. In discussing football we shall use these three topics. Health, 
effects on morals, mental effects. 

4. “The Eve of Waterloo” pictures two scenes. One before the 
enemy arrived and the other after they came. 

5. We found a little bird. One that had left its nest before it 
was able to fly. 


236 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


6. The other day a group of boys and girls were discussing a vital 
subject. One that has come up a good many times and has been the 
cause of many “hot” debates. 

Comma Blunder 

If the members of a compound sentence are joined 
by a conjunction {and, but, or, nor, so, yet, while, 
though), a comma as a rule precedes the conjunction. 

If a conjunction is not used between the independ¬ 
ent statements, a semicolon separates them, or a 
period and a capital are required. If a comma or 
nothing is used between such statements, the error is 
called the comma blunder. 

(Comma blunder) Then, too, there is the business side of the 
question if a person cannot work without some one to watch him, 
what good is he? 

(Right) Then, too, there is the business side of the question. 
If a person cannot work without some one to watch him, what good 
is he? 

A period should be placed at the end of the sentence: 
“ Then, too, there is the business side of the question.” 
Side is the subject; is, the verb. 

(Comma blunder) Because time passes swiftly, in a little while 
it will be 1950, where will you be then? 

(Right) Because time passes swiftly, in a little while it will be 
1950. Where will you be then? 

A period should be placed after 1950, because that 
is the end of the first sentence. The independent 
clause of the first sentence is in a little while it will be 
1950. It is the subject; will be, the verb. 

Practice 6 

Place a period at the end of the first sentence, and 
capitalize the first word of the second sentence. What 
is the independent clause of each sentence? The verb 
of the independent clause? The simple subject? 


SENTENCE SENSE 


237 


1. We are enclosing a price list and also an order blank if cash 
accompanies the order, you may deduct two per cent from the prices 
quoted. 

2. Your letter came today, it was good to hear from you. 

3. Friendship is a relation of perfect equality, a king will not 
become a friend of one of his lower subjects. 

4. We left Washington on the next day and started for Atlantic 
City, after spending a few days at this resort we drove home. 

5. Men seek friends at all times, two men left alone will become 
friends and perhaps develop a great friendship. 

6. Arnold lacks courage, he would like to have a promotion but 
is afraid to ask for it. 

7. Silas receives the love of Eppie, his adopted child, he deserves 
this because he is kind and true. 

8. The cat spied a tree near by, up the tree she went, while the 
dog stood at the foot of it barking very loudly. 

9. Joe went to school every day, his father was a carpenter. 

10. She spends most of her time thinking about her troubles, 
from living in confinement she has acquired many queer ways. 

11. She fell in love with Othello, refusing suitors of her own race 
and creed, she married him. 

12. There are some of the enemy’s soldiers in that house, what 
do you think of our trying to find out how many there are? 

Semicolon and Small Letter 

If statements, especially brief ones, which are 
grammatically independent but closely connected in 
thought are not joined by a conjunction, a semicolon 
is used between them. When in doubt, use the period 
and capital. 

1. It is well to think well; it is divine to act well. 

2. It is hard to fail; it is worse never to have tried to succeed. 

Practice 7 

Correct the following. Give a reason for using the 
semicolon and the small letter or the period and the 
capital. 

1. Different people like different perfumes, food, color, and 
music, our tastes are not alike. 


238 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


2. He’s as ignorant as a baby, he can’t tell a door knob from 
a doughnut or a billiard ball from a porcupine. 

3. In other schools a fund of this sort has worked wonders, 
therefore I think that we can do the same in our school. 

4. The pronoun is used without an antecedent, to correct the 
sentence use a noun. 

5. Take Thomas A. Edison, for instance, didn’t he finally 
achieve success in spite of all obstacles? 

6. Three years passed the rightful king was still the jester. 

7. In the sentence the pronoun it has no antecedent therefore 
a noun should be used to make the meaning clear. 

8. We suddenly heard a crash, we had run into the railroad 
gate. 

9. Godfrey, the son of Squire Cass, was in one way a coward, 
he was afraid to own that he was married and had a child. 

10. Most magazines are written in good English, authors use 
little or no slang and no localisms. 

11. Lincoln and Webster were both great orators they were, 
however, opposite in style and manner of delivery. 

12. Westchester is a perpetual bower of flowers, New Jersey 
flowers from the rocky Hudson shore to the fertile inland valleys. 

13. A truck is loading old scrap-iron on a barge, two men move 
slowly in the heat. 

14. These are the ports the sailor loves, it is of these he sings his 
chanteys. 

15. The first of the commuters have arrived, the rush hour has 
begun. 

16. Five years ago only about a hundred young women attended 
the University of Madrid, now twenty-five per cent of the students 
are women. 

17. Passengers crowded the bus to capacity, the young girls were 
in gay mail-order dresses. 

18. The several small pools make suitable homes for water and 
bog plants, some already grow there, and others have been installed 
and are thriving. 

19. This lake stretched twenty miles northward, whenever we 
could get a vista through the clusters of tree tops, its edge was the 
horizon. 

20. The Making of an American is about a boy from Denmark 
who became a useful American, The Americanization of Edward 
Bok tells of a Dutch boy who grew up and earned success in our 
country. 


SENTENCE SENSE 


239 


Practice 8 

Correct the following. Then pick out the subject 
and predicate of every clause in the correct sentences 
and give the syntax of the clause. 

1. “The Village Blacksmith” is about an honest blacksmith 
who works from early morning to late at night, he can look the world 
in the face, because he does not owe any one. 

2. Last Tuesday night Silas Marner went to the village on an 
errand, and when he returned he looked to see if his money was in 
its usual place, finding his money gone, he ran to the Rainbow Inn 
to spread the news of his robbery and to get help in looking for the 
thief. 

3. One day in March my friends came to my door and called 
to me to come out, as it was a crisp morning, I did not feel like 
getting out of bed at that particular time. 

4. The man that lived in part of our house was a great hunter, 
he had killed many foxes, a few bears, and other smaller animals. 

5. You can imagine what happened, we all shrieked. 

6. While at Saratoga Springs, I saw Governor Walsh, this gave 
me a real thrill. 

7. As I was walking along the bank of the lake, I saw a little 
girl fall into the water, as soon as I heard the cry for help, I jumped 
in to rescue her. 

8. I went and told my mother about the invitation and asked 
her whether we could go, she said she would be very glad to go 
away for a few weeks. 

9. Later, when the boys woke up, Peter taught them how to 
fly, at first it was difficult but they soon were able to fly around the 
room. 

10. While we were enjoying our swim, it began to rain, as we 
were in our bathing suits, it didn’t matter. 

Practice 9 

Correct the following. If necessary, supply a 
subject and a predicate to make an independent 
clause. Pick out the simple subject and the verb of 
each clause, and tell how each subordinate clause is 
used. 


240 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Model for Written Work 

(Wrong) Do you realize what tyranny means, it means actually 
making slaves of persons who should have free 
minds. 

(Right) Do you realize what tyranny means? It means actu¬ 
ally making slaves of persons who should have free 


minds. 




Clause 

Name 

Use 

Subject 

Verb 

Do you realize 

independent 


you 

do realize 

what tyranny means 

subordinate 

noun 

object of 
do realize 

tyranny 

means 

It means actually 
making slaves 
of persons 

independent 


it 

means 

who should have 
free minds 

subordinate 

adjective 

modifier of 
persons 

who 

should have 


1. Something attracted Mrs. Jiggs’s attention for a moment 
and then she looked for her pet he was gone. 

2. One day while Buck was sleeping, a man came and put a 
rope around his neck, Buck snapped at the man but the man put 
a muzzle on him. 

3. Since the new requirements for graduation are better thah 
the old. Because they broaden the pupil’s opportunity and training 
and better fit him for life. Therefore every school in the city ought 
to adopt the new requirements. 

4. I think this poem has been of great.value to me this term 
because it showed me that getting and spending money are not all 
there is to do in the world. That there are many other things which 
are more profitable. 

5. Therefore it is a good plan to let the shirkers know the re¬ 
sults of laziness. That is, to let them shirk until they fail. 

6. If one comes near the nest, the bird begins to gasp for breath 
and roll around as if dead. In this way taking the person quite a 
distance from the nest. 

7. That’s a good word, I found it in Ivanhoe. 

8. We ran to see what was the matter, the house was all in 
flames, and the noise was caused by the breaking of the large plate- 
glass windows. 

9. The reason for this interest being that any nation which is 


SENTENCE SENSE 241 

struggling for independence arouses the sympathy of the United 
States. 

10. Rowdyism on the street cars is common among the boys who 
travel to and from school by car, they pretend to be young gentlemen 
but lack the elements of gentility. 

11. Often persons who have brilliant minds are never heard of. 
Sometimes because their parents cannot send them to high school 
and college. 

12. A cat dashed out of the pipe and ran across the street into 
the house she went. 

13. After Jean Yaljean had walked through the mountains for a 
long time, to his amazement he heard some one coming along the 
road whistling, turning around, he saw a young child tossing money 
in his hand. 

14. They showed Wamba the prison where Cedric and Athlestane 
were then they left him. 

15. Please excuse Jane from reciting today, because of illness 
she was unable to prepare her lesson. 

16. Another fault of mine that I learned from my examination is 
poor paragraph structure, there were also several words misspelled 
in my composition. 

17. The works of famous writers and poets can be found in any 
number of a literary magazine. Also the works of young poets and 
writers. 

18. When in trouble, rub this ring it has magic powers. 

19. They all turned to look, sure enough there was a rider 
coming towards Cottonwoods. 

20. Christmas came but once a year to their home just as to 
every other modest dwelling, again, like the average family, they 
were going to make the most of it. 

21. For instance, the intelligence of Buck, one of the oxen on 
the farm, who used his head to break pumpkins if his teeth failed. 

22. Not many cars cross this bridge safely about nine out of 
every ten go over into the water. 

23. Lincoln in his speech at Cooper Union used no figurative 
language still he held the attention of every hearer. 

24. Pour in the oil, and your car is ready to go five hundred 
miles, after that repeat the operation. 

25. k?ome one has said that when a speaker rises in thought his 
language descends to the simple. Meaning that a speaker who is in 
dead earnest speaks from the heart and to the heart and therefore is 
truly eloquent. 


242 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 10 

Punctuate and capitalize this composition. Be 
sure to place a period at the end of a sentence and to 
begin a sentence with a capital. 

What Luck 

Through the entanglement of weeds along the shore we wormed 
a circuitous way to the fishing deeps where we dropped anchor then 
I drew my rod and reel from its case adjusted its joints pulled the 
line to the right length tied a hook at the end and prepared to bait it 

Of course Im not a bit squeamish about bugs and things if its 
only a matter of petting them but I view the matter from a different 
angle when it comes to impaling wriggling animals , on a hook min¬ 
nows fishworms grasshoppers night crawlers provided a beautiful 
variety to select from and are so tempting to fish pondering led to 
decision the choice of a thin little wiggly pink worm the least likely 
to be missed and so easy to run on the hook whew it was hot 

All set the worm on his line whizzed over the water cut the sur¬ 
face and hung suspended but he stayed there only a minute whir 
whir-r-r-r the line was flying off the reel surely nothing less than a 
fourteen-inch bass had seized my bait I played him a little and then 
began to draw him in very very cautiously when the big catch was 
near enough as I thought I whipped up the line with a swish and 
deposited on the bottom of the boat amid the applause of my 
companions a six-inch pike. 

He had eaten only the dangling tail of the bait so the same worm a 
little paler from his experience set out again across the water in a 
minute a jerk on the line almost pulled the rod out of my hands soon 
a ten-inch bass flapped his protests at my feet 

Rejoicing in my good luck I jabbed a fat worm on the hook and 
hurled it out over the surface of the water for the rest of the morn¬ 
ing though I used as bait worms minnows grasshoppers and night 
crawlers not a fish even nibbled at my hook 

Practice 11 

Have you ever read a good dog story, The Call of 
the Wild; Grey friar’s Bobby; Lad, a Dog; Polaris; 
Stickeen; A Dog of Flanders; Stories of Brave Dogs; 
Jerry of the Islands; Michael, Brother of Jerry; or Bob, 


Photo by Ewing Galloway 


SENTENCE SENSE 


243 


























244 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Son of Battle, for example? If so, you will enjoy 
making up a story about the dogs in the picture or 
telling one about a dog you know. 

In the introduction of your story answer the ques¬ 
tions, “Who?” “When?” “Where?” “What?” 
Also try to arouse the reader’s interest or make him 
curious when you start the story, and keep him in 
suspense till you near the end. Picture the dogs and 
places, and let the reader know how the dogs felt. 
Make the story move swiftly. Have a point or ex¬ 
citing part, and make it stand out by going into de¬ 
tails. Conclude briefly. 

After writing the story, look through it carefully 
for comma sentences and half-sentences. If you find 
any, change them to sentences. 

Summary 

1. A phrase has neither subject nor predicate; a 
clause has a subject and a predicate. A sentence or 
an independent clause makes complete sense — really 
says something — when standing alone; a subordi¬ 
nate clause as a rule does not. 

2. When a period is used after a part of a sentence 
that does not make complete sense when standing 
alone, the fraction of a sentence is called a half¬ 
sentence. 

3. If a conjunction is not used between independ¬ 
ent statements, a period and a capital or a semicolon 
separates the statements. If a comma or nothing is 
used between such statements, the error is called the 

comma blunder. 


CHAPTER XIX 


BETTER SENTENCES 

Varied sentences are pleasing; sentences of the same 
kind are tiresome. Most pupils overuse the simple 
sentence beginning with the subject, and the com¬ 
pound sentence. This chapter shows six ways of ap¬ 
plying grammar to the improvement of sentences. 

(1) Something Other than Adjectives before 
the Subject 

What grammatical element or elements are placed 
before the subject in each of these sentences? 

1. Suddenly the fish-hawk closed his wings. 

2. When you drive along Piccadilly in an automobile, taxicab, or 
omnibus, you are jolted up and down in your seat in a most uncom¬ 
fortable fashion at every yard or so. 

3. Thundering between them in its gorge goes the blue-green tor¬ 
rent of the river. 

4. To reach the bottom of the gorge sightseers descend a ladder. 

5. Up the hill ran the rabbit with Punch after it. 

6. A disappointed dog was Punch. 

7. The candidate who is honest and intelligent I shall support. 

The elements before the subjects in these sen¬ 
tences are: (1) adverb, (2) adverb clause, (3) parti¬ 
ciple and verb, (4) infinitive, (5) prepositional phrase 
and verb, (6) predicate nominative and verb, (7) ob¬ 
ject of verb. 

With these elements are modifiers. For example, 
in sentence 7 the adjective clause who is honest and 
intelligent modifies the noun candidate; in sentence 3 
the prepositional phrases between them and in its gorge 
modify the participle thundering . 

245 


246 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


“Childish,” “babyish,” “immature,” and “primer” 
are names sometimes given to English in which sen¬ 
tences always begin with the subject and the verb, 
especially if the sentences are compounded with and 
and so. Subject, verb, subject, verb, subject, verb, 
and, so, and, so — this sameness becomes very tire¬ 
some. To make your writing sound like that of an 
educated man or woman, get into the habit of some¬ 
times putting before the subject an adverb, an adverb 
clause, an infinitive, a prepositional phrase, a pred¬ 
icate nominative, an object, a participle, or a verb. 

Practice 1 

Revise each of these sentences by placing something 
besides adjectives before the subject. Then tell what 
grammatical element or elements you placed before 
the subject. 

1. The old captain was buried with military honors in the 
jungle far from his home and family. 

2. The Mississippi poured through the gap with the roar of a 
dozen freight trains. 

3. He went up and up until he was at least three hundred feet 
in the air. 

4. A more formal reception came at the city hall. 

5. The majority of rivers in parts of Africa dry up during the 
dry season, which lasts for six or seven months. 

6. The}? - were able to get into the air again twice. 

7. They came down and could not rise again after they had re¬ 
turned to within seventy miles of Beechey Point. 

8. A tiny island is lying like a green leaf on the sparkling, 
tropical ocean. 

9. He could control his golf shots but couldn’t control his 
temper when a youngster of nineteen. 

10. Many lean-tos have been scattered through the wilderness 
for the hikers on the forest trails. 

11. Mountain climbing with Swiss guides is good sport for the 
hardy. 

12. He waxed peevish and tossed away his clubs in wrath when 
things went wrong. 


BETTER SENTENCES 247 

13. A slender, blue-eyed boy is putting himself through college 
with a pair of scissors down in Augusta, Georgia. 

14. Elk, sheep, and deer are reputed to stroll past the porch of 
this lodge. 

15. Tumbled foothills, dark with pine, spread out through the 
gap. 

16. Three white flags, each six feet square, dropped from the 
plane. 

17. He may have seemed to them a crank. 

18. Parliament meets in the afternoon for eight months of the 
year or thereabout. 

19. Boys should not overwork dogs to train them properly for 
racing. 

20. The huge range of Fairholmes with the river boiling around 
it rises square across the valley’s end. 

21. The flatboat ferry of other days is not yet dead but surely 
slipping. 

22. The disappearance of the old-time district school is directly 
attributable to the advent of the motor age. 

23. A garden is nowhere more charming and colorfuhand alto¬ 
gether delightful than in Maine. 

24. A narrative of what happens to the bold sailors then follows. 

25. A man must not strike a woman, not even with a flower, 
according to the code of gallantry. 

A Strain on the Family Tie 

A cartoon by G. Williams, which appeared in today’s Post- 
Standard, depicts a family scene. * Seated at the dinner table in a 
comfortable, attractive room, the husband is berating his wife in 
loud tones. * With a knife in one hand and the other hand pointing 
to the food on the table, he makes a comical spectacle. The subject 
of his lecture is the dinner. He says, “I’m tired of these bridge- 
party lunches, which not only spoil your appetite but your idea of 
mine.” * On the table is a very meager supper, made up of canned 
beans, coffee, and bread. * Across the room sits his wife reading 
the paper in utter unconcern. * Slumped in a chair, she has the 
appearance of a human jellyfish. * On the floor at her feet is a 
diminutive white poodle, which looks happy and well cared for. 

The meaning of the cartoon is that when the wife goes to a 
bridge luncheon and enjoys the delicious food, she feels no need of 
an attractive and nourishing dinner. * Being tired after an exciting 
game, she finds it easier to prepare a “store” supper than to cook a 


248 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


dinner for her family. * When her husband comes home with a 
wonderful appetite, he says what he thinks about his evening meal. 

— A Pupil’s Theme 


Practice 2 

In a paragraph describe a newspaper or magazine 
cartoon so vividly that the reader will see the picture. 
In a second paragraph explain the meaning of the 
cartoon so clearly that a person who is stupid about 
cartoons will understand it. In five or more sentences 
put something besides adjectives before the subject. 
Place an asterisk (*) at the beginning of each of these 
sentences. 

(2) Complex Sentence 

(Childish) It takes ten to fourteen days to deliver orders, so we 
suggest that you order early. 

(Better) Because it takes ten to fourteen days to deliver goods, 
we suggest that you order early. 

And and so are useful words, but they are sadly 
overworked. Hence boys and girls improve their 
English when they get rid of and and so joining clauses 
by substituting adverb or noun clauses for some of 
the independent clauses. The average pupil needs to 
form the habit of writing more noun clauses and 
complex-complex sentences. 

Practice 3 

Change each compound sentence into a complex 
sentence by subordinating one of the ideas. Place 
the adverb clauses before the independent clauses 
they modify. 

1. Bobby lost his smile and his cap, but he kept his head. 

2. Her aunt and uncle were also dead, so she had no one to go to. 

3. A few minutes after going to bed, I heard a loud crash in the 
kitchen, and my heart leaped into my mouth. 


BETTER SENTENCES 249 

4. I saw all the other boys riding bicycles, and I thought it very 
easy. 

5. Father, a Civil War veteran, was a lover of the wilderness, 
so he moved our family westward. 

6. One day Penrod got very tired looking at the hair of the 
girl in the seat in front of him, so he dipped it into the inkwell on the 
desk. 

7. I showed that I could handle the quarterstaff, so the out¬ 
laws said I could go free. 

8. Often in his anxiety to drive the ball out of the lot, he 
strikes out, but the fans always forgive him. 

9. You can’t rinse off in cold water plates all bacon grease, and 
every woman knows this. 

10. The captain was asleep in his bunk, and the pilot drew a 
little off his course and ran aground. 

11. He worked from morning to night in the fields, but he had 
nothing but a coarse shirt to his back and his little mudhouse. 

12. We were walking through an old weedy field, and I chanced 
to spy a nighthawk sitting on the ground only three or four yards 
away. 

13. The boys and girls in these schools study arithmetic, and at 
the same time they practice carpentry, paperhanging, or some other 
manual trade. 

14. In.the summer I can’t skate or coast, so I play tennis and golf. 

15. After a strenuous day in the woods I was tired, so I went to 
bed early. 

16. This man was very kind to his dogs, and he had a dog team, 
and he made Buck leader of the dog team. 

17. There was a Spitz right behind Buck, and the Spitz always 
bit Buck’s legs, and one day they had a fight. 

18. Will had brought tins, and the coffee made them hot. 

19. The fire was caused by a child playing with matches, but a 
fireman soon put it out. 

20. Then near a little town called Clayville a machine was 
coming in the opposite direction, and it was a long truck, so we had 
to get out of their way, and there we stuck in the snow. 

21. Now the rage is for these questions, and the newspapers and 
magazines print the answers too, so we have an easy time of it. 

22. I am a pupil in Commercial High School, and our English 
class is preparing a book on magazines. 

23. Mrs. Cabot ran to rescue her little dog. She valued it highly. 

24. One day I saw a pair of downy woodpeckers eating suet tied 


250 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


to some lilac bushes. Then the urge to build a bird house possessed 
me. 

25. In his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln brings out very clearly 
the purpose of the gathering, and it is not so long as the Cooper 
Institute oration. 


(3) Appositive 

Which is better? 

1. Almost at its do,or is a stream stocked with rainbow trout —• 
a fish far more game than Adirondack pike. 

2. Almost at its door is a stream stocked with rainbow trout. 
This fish is far more game than Adirondack pike. 

Number 1 is briefer and more forceful than number 
2. Frequently an appositive saves words and im¬ 
proves the sentence structure. Appositives help one 
to build better sentences. Do you use them? Unless 
you write better than the ordinary pupil in grades 
seven to twelve, you should use about twice as many 
appositives as you are in the habit of using. 

Practice 4 

In each of the following, combine the sentences by 
substituting an appositive for one of the sentences: 

1. Coming as an eastern “punkin lily” to the Bad Lands, 
Theodore Roosevelt became the leader of the forces of law and 
order. This was the most turbulent community of the western 
frontier. 

2. On the deck of the flagship Seattle paced Admiral Hughes. 
He is commander-in-chief of the United States fleet. 

3. Against this glory of nature flashes a pageant of summer 
life. This life is a whirl of teas, dances, dinners, and parties. 

4. Two months ago Wilson Jackson rolled his large eyes, blew 
on his hands when told that two lion cubs were coming to the White 
House. Jackson is a' Negro porter and keeper of the presidential 
collection of raccoon, collies, bees, owl, and the like. 

5. I had the pleasure of meeting Jack London. He was a rover, 
adventurer, and story teller. 

6. It is by far the best market for all products of general con- 


BETTER SENTENCES 251 

sumption. These are food, clothing, fuel, furniture, musical in¬ 
struments, and household appliances. 

7. Eugene Field is the children’s poet. His body was en¬ 
shrined in a specially built tomb in a Chicago church. 

8. “Tim” O’Neil is a Rhode Island manufacturer of emblems 
and badges. He was born in “Dog Town,” now South Providence. 

9. At the time of the Mississippi flood Herbert Hoover was 
Secretary of Commerce. He reported to the President the need of 
additional Red Cross funds. 

10. The buildings are simple ones and not particularly attractive. 
They have steep roofs of dark slate. 

(4) Series 

Which is better? 

1. Marceline ran away from the tailor to whom he had been 
apprenticed, then he crawled under a circus tent, and soon he fell 
asleep. 

2. Marceline ran away from the tailor to whom he had been 
apprenticed, crawled under a tent, and fell asleep. 

The compound predicate is terser and more forceful 
than the compound sentence with he. 

Practice 5 

Improve these sentences by making of each com¬ 
pound sentence a simple sentence with a compound 
predicate: 

1. Suddenly the fish hawk closed his wings, then he shot down 
till he was half buried in the trough of a wave, and soon he rose 
again with a fish over a foot long struggling in his talons. 

2. King Michael a few years ago sat in a ten-dollar-American 
chair, and he ate bread and jam and cookies, and, just like any 
other infant, he wore a bib. 

3. The gorilla is the largest and ugliest of the great apes, and it 
walks erect, and in form of body and limbs it most resembles man. 

4. The natives seize him, and they bury him to the neck in sand, 
and they fling their spears all around and very close to his head. 

5. Lapps buy their sugar in a large lump, and with a specially 
devised pair of pincers they break it off in small pieces. 


252 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


The compound predicate is only one kind of series. 
Four other varieties are: 

A Series of Adjectives 

The Governor was tall, lean, and ruddy and had a long, narrow, 
thin face. 


A Series of Adverbs 
He did his work quietly, quickly, thoroughly . 

t 

A Series of Nouns 

Self-control, truthfulness, kindliness, and indomitable energy 
combined to make him a striking character. 

A Series of Prepositional Phrases 

Through the woods, across the field, and up the mountain the deer 
ran to escape the hunter. 


Practice 6 

Find in a newspaper, a magazine, or a book five good 
sentences which illustrate the use of the series. 

Practice 7 

In a composition with one of these as a title: a red- 
letter day, my unlucky day, my autobiography, 
caught in the act, my first experience at cooking, a 
punishment I deserved, how I earned my first dollar, 
a radio program I liked, the meanest thing I ever did, 
no gas, what I saw on my way to school, a visit to a 
factory, or how to study grammar, use (1) something 
besides adjectives before the subject, (2) the complex 
sentence, (3) the appositive, and (4) the series, to 
improve and vary your sentences. Before a sentence 
place 1 if there is something except adjectives before 
the subject, 2 if the sentence is complex, 3 if there is 
an appositive in the sentence, 4 if the sentence con¬ 
tains a series of words or phrases. 


BETTER SENTENCES 


253 


(5) Participle 

Most pupils can improve their style by using more 
participles. An average adult uses twice as many 
participles as a typical pupil in grades seven to twelve. 

Notice that participles help us to express briefly and 
pleasingly what we have to say. 

(Childish) When thirteen years old, Tim was an errand boy. 

He earned his three dollars a week, but still carried 
papers before reporting for work. 

(Better) When thirteen years old, Tim was an errand boy, 
earning his three dollars a week, but still carrying 
papers before reporting for work. 

Practice 8 

Improve these sentences by substituting partici¬ 
ples for some of the verbs in independent or subordi¬ 
nate clauses: 

1. To left and right tower two-mile peaks, which are always 
covered with snow. 

2. For sixteen days they worked their way over rough ice, and 
they carried barely enough provisions to last their trek to the shore 
at Beechey Point. 

3. Major General Summerall, who was warmly welcomed, rose 
and spoke crisp, West-Pointed sentences. 

4. Are you searching for a trout stream which is not too well 
fished? 

5. The crest of the Mississippi flood crawled southward a mile 
an hour and spread through Arkansas and Louisiana. 

6. He lowers sail and drifts for some time. 

7. The President, who was in a blue suit and wore a stiff hat 
and was accompanied by Colonel Starling, started out on a brief 
fishing expedition shortly after luncheon. 

8. The memoirs of Trader Horn are crammed with incredible 
experiences and are also crowded with humor, satire, and poetry. 

9. The castle, which is crumbling and deserted, now stands on 
its high promontory. 

10. Colonel Lindbergh passed over the English Channel and 
kept on toward Paris. 


254 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Practice 9 

Tell entertainingly an incident of a book you have 
read recently. Use five or more participles and under¬ 
score them. 

(6) Interrogative, Imperative, and Exclamatory 
Sentences 

The sixth method of applying grammar to the im¬ 
provement of one's style is by using occasionally for 
variety an interrogative, an imperative, or an ex¬ 
clamatory sentence. 

My Ride on a Donkey 

1245. One day at Luna Park after I had ridden on the Witching 
Waves, the Ferris Wheel, and a scenic railway, I saw a sign bear¬ 
ing the words “Donkey Ride.” 15. Behind the huge sign stood 
several cumbersome-looking donkeys, busily switching their tails 
to keep the flies away. 2. One of the animals seemed friskier than 
the others. 12. Perhaps a fly had bitten him harder than usual. 
125. At any rate he kept prancing around; and I devoutly hoped, 
after I had decided to enjoy a donkey ride and had bought my ticket, 
that he would not fall to me. 

126. Just then the keeper called out, “Here, girl, hop on this 
one, and hold the reins tight. Giddap, Moses.” 1. After saying 
this he made some clicking sounds. 

12. Since the donkey had just a thin blanket over him, there was 
nothing to hold on to except the reins. 1. These I did not wish to 
pull for fear of hurting him. 12. So when we went up a hill, I had 
all I could do to keep from slipping off his back. 12. In a short time 
I was so afraid of the animal that when he shook himself, I dropped 
the reins. 12. When Moses discovered that no one was guiding 
him, he stopped to browse. 12. Since the reins had fallen out of 
my reach, I could not possibly start him going; so there I sat and 
wondered whether my last day had come. 126. What could I do if 
the animal took it into his head to kick? 2. I had heard that this 
was a favorite pastime among donkeys. 12. When I tried to get 
off, he moved, and my plan of escape was thwarted. 145. At last 
the manager came, and seeing my discomfort, took the reins, and 
led Moses and me safely back to the starting place. 

— A Pupil’s Theme 


BETTER SENTENCES 


255 


Practice 10 

About a ride, perhaps an unusual one, write a true 
story. Or make up a story about the ride the start 
of which is shown in the picture. Improve your 



Photo by Ewing Galloway 


sentences in the ways studied. Then before a sentence 
place 1 if there is something except adjectives before 
the subject, 2 if it is complex, 3 if there is an appositive 
in it, 4 if it contains a series of words or phrases, 5 if 
there is a participle in it, 6 if it is interrogative, ex¬ 
clamatory, or imperative. The 1245 before the first 
sentence of “My Ride on a Donkey” shows that the 
sentence has something except adjectives before the 
subject (1), is complex (2), contains a series (4), and 
has a participle in it (5). 



256 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Summary 

Ways to improve our sentence structure are: (1) 
placing something except adjectives before the subject; 
(2) using complex sentences; (3) using appositives; 
(4) making use of the series; (5) using participles; 
(6) occasionally using an interrogative, an exclama¬ 
tory, or an imperative sentence. 


CHAPTER XX 


FORMS AND USES OF ADJECTIVES 
AND ADVERBS 

Comparison of Adjectives 

Most adjectives have three forms: 

1. Joe is brave. 

2. Mary is braver than Joe. 

3. Ernest is bravest of the three. 

Brave , the positive degree, merely names the quality; 
the comparative degree braver denotes that one has a 
higher degree of the quality than another; the super¬ 
lative degree bravest denotes that one has more of the 
quality than any other compared or has the quality 
in the highest degree. 

1. Adjectives of one syllable form the comparative 
and the superlative by adding er and est to the posi¬ 
tive. 

strong stronger strongest 

2. Adjectives of three or more syllables are com¬ 
pared by prefixing more and most to the positive. 

wonderful more wonderful most wonderful 

3. Many adjectives of two syllables form the 
comparative and the superlative by prefixing more and 
most to the positive. 

helpful more helpful most helpful 

helpless more helpless most helpless 

Some two-syllable adjectives are compared in both 
ways. 


257 


258 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


tired tireder tiredest 

tired more tired most tired 


4. Several adjectives are compared irregularly. 


Positive 
bad, evil, ill 
good 

much, many 

near 

far 

little 

late 


Comparative 
worse 
better 
more 
nearer 
farther 
less, lesser 
later, latter 


Superlative 

worst 

best 

most 

nearest, next 

farthest 

least 

latest, last 


5. It is illogical to compare words like round, 
square, straight, complete, perfect, white, and black . 
If a line is straight, another cannot be straighter. 
If a man is square, another cannot be squarer. Yet 
“ He is the squarest man I ever saw ” and “ My line 
is straighter than yours ” are correct sentences. 
Here squarest means most nearly square, and straighter 
means more nearly straight. 

Adjectives like endless, equal, single, unique, unani¬ 
mous, daily, and every are not compared. 

Practice 1 


Compare odd, feeble, joyful, little, gentle, late, beau¬ 
tiful, strange, good, bad, happy, tactful, healthy, honest, 
far, near, much. 


Comparison of Adverbs 

1. Most adverbs end in ly and form their compara¬ 
tive and superlative by prefixing more and most to the 
positive. 

2. Adverbs which do not end in ly commonly add 
er and est for the comparative and the superlative. 

fast faster fastest 

soon sooner soonest 


USES OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 259 


3. Several adverbs are compared irregularly. 


Positive 

Comparative 

Superlative 

well 

better 

best 

ill, badly 

worse 

worst 

little 

less 

least 

much 

more 

most 

late 

later 

latest, last 

near 

nearer 

nearest, next 


Use of Comparative and Superlative 

Which are right? 

1. It is hard to tell which of the two I like-. (better, best) 

When comparing two, most careful writers use the 

comparative. Hence better is the preferred word. 

2. Maine has more pine trees than- New England state. 

(any, any other) 

We should avoid comparing a thing with itself. 
With any the sentence says that Maine has more 
pine trees than any state including itself. Any other 
says what is meant. 

3. A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows-with 

constant use, (keener, more keener) 

Double comparison {more keener , most unkindest) 
was correct when Shakespeare wrote but has gone 
out of style. Keener is right. 

Practice 2 

Pick out the better word or expression in each 
sentence, and give a reason for the choice: 

1. Adele is brighter than-girl in her class, (any, any other) 

2. Mary has the-ways of any one I know, (funniest, most 

funniest) 

3. The Stromberg-Carlsdn works better than-radio set on 

the market, (any, any other) 

4. “The World Is Too Much with Us,” which I studied last 

night, appealed to me more than-poem I have ever read, (any, 

any other) 


260 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


5. Wister’s-known novel is The Virginian, (best, most 

well) 

6. The-sport in Lincoln High during the past term was 

basketball, (outstanding, most outstanding) 

7. Which is the-of these two books for me to read? (better, 

best) 

8. It was the-sight I ever saw. (saddest, most saddest) 

9. Is the can with the red label or the can with the yellow label 

the-? (better, best) 

10. The author discusses some of the nation’s-known in¬ 

stitutions of learning, (best, most well) 

11. Paris is larger than-city in France, (any, any other) 

12. Rhode Island is smaller than - state in the United 

States, (any, any other) 

13. In connection with the Tenth Annual Beefsteak and Dance 

of the Millerites there will be issued a-program, (unique, most 

unique) 

14. Sabatini is one of the-known authors of the day. (best, 

most well) 

Practice 3 

In three sentences of your own use the compara¬ 
tive correctly and in three use the superlative. 

Double Negative 

Avoid the double negative. The negative is not 
used with hardly, scarcely, and only, or with hut when 
it means only. 

(Wrong) He didn’t receive no pay. 

(Right) He didn’t receive any pay. 

(Wrong) We can’t hardly hear her. 

(Right) We can hardly hear her. 

This rule you doubtless understand. Do you habit¬ 
ually use the right forms in your conversation? 

Practice 4 

» 

Pick out the correct word in each sentence, and give 
a reason for the choice: 

1. There-hardly anybody at the committee meeting, (was, 

wasn’t) 


USES OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 261 


2. They don’t put —— new in it. (anything, nothing) 

3. I didn’t find it-. (anywhere, no place) 

4. Some people never know-. (anything, nothing) 

5. There-but one garage in the town, (is, isn’t) 

6. I didn’t say-. (anything, nothing) 

7. Jim’s mother didn’t take-more than belonged to her. 

(any, no) 

8. She didn’t leave-margin, (a, no) 

9. I haven’t-sled, (a, got no) 

10. It didn’t make-difference, (any, no) 

11. He didn’t have-introduction, (an, no) 

12. I haven’t-to do with the matter, (anything, nothing) 

13. I didn’t see-there, (any one, no one) 

14. There-but one church in the village, (is, isn’t) 

15. A nation does not surrender its sovereignty by belonging 

to the League of Nations-than it does by settling a dispute by 

arbitration, (any more, no more) 

This, That, These, Those 

This and that are singular; these and those, plural. 

(Wrong) Don’t get these kind of gloves. 

(Right) Don’t get this kind of gloves. 

Say this hoy, not this here hoy; that hoy, not that 
there hoy. The adverbs here and there cannot modify 
a noun. 

Practice 5 

Select the correct word in each sentence, and give 
a reason for the choice: 

1. I like to associate with-kind of people, (that, those) 

2. -boy doesn’t belong with us. (that, that there) 

3. I don’t care for-kind of books, (that, those) 

4. -blind man took Jim by the arm and hurt him. (this, 

this here) 

5. I can’t answer-kind of questions, (that, those) 

6. -sailor came into the house, (this, this here) 

7. If- kind of films- suppressed, the moving picture 

will no longer be a danger spot in American life, (that, those) (is, 
are) 




262 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


8. -kind of games-very exciting, (that, those) (is, 

are) 

9. Should-book report be on fiction or biography? (this, 

this here) 

10. Have you ever raised-kind of apples? (that, those) 

A, An, The 

1. Use a before consonant sounds and an before 
vowel sounds. Think of sounds, not letters. An hour 
is right because the h is silent. 

2. Repeat the article before a second noun in a 
series for contrast, clearness, or emphasis. 

I should like to discuss the matter with the president and the 
secretary. 

He has friends in the East and the West. 

3. When two or more adjectives modify a noun, 
repeat the article only if different objects are meant. 

My father has a green and black car. (one car) 

My father has a green and a black car. (two cars) 

4. Omit the article after sort and kind. 

(Wrong) He was turned into a sort of an animal. 

(Right) He was turned into a sort of animal. 

5. Say a half-hour or half an hour, not a half an hour. 

(Wrong) They kept on doing this for about a half an hour. 

(Right) They kept on doing this for about a half-hour. 

Practice 6 

Pick out the correct word or expression in each 
sentence, and give a reason for the choice: 

1. Mary was-heiress to millions, (a, an) 

2. He was there about a half-. (hour, an hour) 

3. Then-of us yelled, “Boo!” (both, the both) 

4. This sort of-has been tried in other schools, (fund, a 

fund) 

5. Loraine is sent to-aunt’s house, (a, an) 

6. After a half-hard work we got the rabbit, (hour’s, an 

hour’s) 


USES OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 263 

7. -offers many opportunities to boys and girls. (United 

States, the United States) 

8. A glacier is a kind of-. (river, a river) 

9. They didn’t know that King Uther had-heir, (a, an) 

10. Which of the dresses do you like better, the black or- 

one? (white, the white) 

11. The president and-gave their reports, (treasurer, the 

treasurer) 

12. Go south on Broadway for a half-. (a block, block) 

Demonstrative Adjective and Personal Pronoun 

Which is right? 

1. We aren’t going to use them tickets. 

2. We aren’t going to use those tickets. 

You know, of course, that those is right. Them , a 
pronoun in the objective case, cannot modify the noun 
tickets. But have you formed the habit of saying those 
boys, those tickets, those books, those things, those girlsf 

Confusion of Adjective and Adverb 

Which is right? 

1. She prepared her speech-. (good, well) 

Good is an adjective; well, an adjective or an ad¬ 
verb. The adverb well, the right word, modifies the 
verb prepared. 

2. They at first believed him a shirker but later thought-. 

(different, differently) 

The adverb differently modifies the verb thought. 

3. At the teacher’s jokes the pupils laughed -. (hearty, 

heartily) 

The adverb heartily modifies the verb laughed. 
Although hearty ends in y, it is an adjective. 

4. He is a-good tennis player, (real, very) 

The adverb very modifies the adjective good. Real 
good and some better are colloquial expressions. 

5. She looks-in a rose dress, (beautiful, beautifully) 


264 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Beautiful is a predicate adjective after the verb 
looks. A predicate adjective is usually required after 
a verb that resembles in meaning be or seem — look, 
feel, taste, smell, and sound, for example. 

Slow, loud, quick, cheap, right, wrong, clear, ill, well, 
deep, hard, high, long, and fast are used as adjectives 
or as adverbs. 


Pkactice 7 

Pick out the word which is correct according to 
literary usage. Give the syntax of the word chosen. 

1. Approach him-. (gentle, gently) 

2. We started the season-by beating South Side by a score 

of 45 to 2. (good, well) 

3. My experience on a farm helped me-, of course, (some, 

somewhat) 

4. He has learned to pronounce his words -—. (correct, 

correctly) 

5. If they knew a little more about civics, they would think 
-. (different, differently) 

6. It is-cold today, (real, exceedingly) 

7. The speech would have been very-had there been less 

repetition, (good, well) 

8. I wonder how —— will be the impression on the audience, 
(deep, deeply) 

9. We could not see the fort very-, as it was foggy, (good, 

well) 

10. A good talker will get a position much-than a hesitating 

or stammering applicant, (easier, more easily) 

11. The Chinaman could imitate a Scotchman almost as- 

as Harry Lauder, (good, well) 

12. This defeat was not taken-. (serious, seriously) 

13. The machine has not worked very -. (satisfactory, 

satisfactorily) 

14. He talks very-and-. (gentle, gently) (sullen, sul¬ 

lenly) 

15. The slave trader handled Tom rather-. (rough, roughly) 

16. In front of the bakery Sarah saw a small girl dressed very 
-. (shabby, shabbily) 

17. I was going along-on my skis, (good, well) 


USES OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS 265 


. 18. We pitched hay-for about two hours, (steady, steadily) 

19. The wind blows - . (cold, coldly) 

20. My father is - better today, (some, somewhat) 

21. He carried it on his back - . (easy, easily) 

22. You did that very -. (good, well) 

Practice 8 

Correct all errors. Give a reason for each change. 
Four of the sentences are right. 

1. What kind of a test will we have tomorrow? 

2. I can’t only stay a few minutes with you. 

3. My brother is younger than me, and he can’t hardly un¬ 
derstand the story. 

4. I ain’t had no education, but yet I speak good. 

5. Willie and me soon learned how to milk pretty good. 

6. I haven’t got no pen. 

7. Act quick if you want a set at this low price. 

8. The plan worked more or less satisfactory until 1928. 

9. He ain’t got no pencil. 

10. You have been born and brought up in United States. 

11. We should try to live plain and simple. 

12. He didn’t know nothing about it. 

13. I don’t want any of them things. 

14. It is these kind of pupils that will work very hard to succeed. 

15. Prose is easier to understand than poetry. 

16. I never did like that kind of a book. 

17. He published this newspaper, but it did not sell good. 

18. There are many who talk a lot and never do nothing. 

19. This kind of an essay has no definite outline. 

20. After the long walk we all ate very hearty. 

21. The simplest little flower inspired him to write a beautiful 
poem. 

22. Put them books over there on my desk. 

23. Then the whole school went out to play for a half-hour. 

24. The substance of the recitation was fairly well. 

25. That there pencil is broke. 

26. This here man had information from Palestine. 

27. Don’t leave nobody go in here. 

28. Keziah Coffin is a most unique character. 

29. When the boys knew how honest and courageous Harry was, 
they treated him different. 


266 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


Summary 

1. The positive degree merely describes a quality. 
The comparative degree denotes that one object has 
a higher degree of a quality than another object. The 
superlative degree denotes that one object has more 
of a quality than any other compared or has a quality 
in the highest degree. 

2. When comparing two, most careful writers use 
the comparative. 

3. When the comparative is used for more than 
two, exclude from the group the object compared. 

4. Avoid double comparison. 

5. Avoid the double negative. 

6. This and that are singular; these and those are 
plural. 

7. Use a before a consonant sound and an before 
a vowel sound. 

8. Repeat the article before a second noun in a 
series for contrast, clearness, or emphasis. 

9. When two or more adjectives modify a noun, 
repeat the article only if different objects are meant. 

10. Omit the article after sort and kind. 

11. Do not use an adjective to modify a verb, an 
adjective, or an adverb. 

12. After look, feel, taste, smell, and sound, use a 
predicate adjective to describe the subject. 


CHAPTER XXI 


USE OF PREPOSITIONS AND CON¬ 
JUNCTIONS 

Correct Preposition 

Which are correct? 

1. John fell from the porch-the water and then went- 

the house, (in, into) 

Into is used for motion from one place to another — 
porch to water, outside the house to inside, for ex¬ 
ample. If John had been wading in deep water, he 
might have fallen in it. 

2. I was not-home yesterday, (at, to) 

Notice the difference between at and to: “ I went to 
school on Friday but was at home on Saturday.” 

3. Then John suggested that we divide the money —-- the 
twenty members of the club, (among, between) 

Between commonly applies to only two objects. 

4. Keep-the ice wagon, (off, off of) 

Off is correct. 

5. I got the knife-Jack, (off of, off, from) 

From is correct. 

6. -the locomotive were ten cars, (behind, in back of, back 

of) 

Behind is literary English; back of, colloquial; in 
back of, childish. 

7. - financial reverses I have been forced to leave school. 

(due to, because of) 


268 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


The two words because of are used as a preposition. 
Due is an adjective and is correctly used in the sen¬ 
tence: “The accident was due to carelessness.” In 
this sentence due is the predicate adjective after the 
verb was. 

Practice 1 

In each sentence select the correct preposition. 
When in doubt, look up in a dictionary the meaning 
and the use of the prepositions. 

1. The Jew was to cut off a pound of Antonio’s flesh as payment 

for a sum of money Antonio had borrowed- Shylock. (off, 

from) 

2. The teacher divided his time-the three sections as he 

thought best, (among, between) 

3. Last Friday I was over-your house but didn’t find you 

at home, (at, to) 

4. Suddenly Jim heard a noise and hid-a tree, (behind, 

back of, in back of) 

5. Many men, women, and children are killed or crippled 

every day-the carelessness of automobile drivers, (because of, 

due to) 

6. Mother said she would make jam and jelly-the berries. 

(of, with) 

7. During July and August we were-Paris, (at, in) 

8. If Harvard had won, there would have been a triple tie- 

the colleges in the Big Three, (among, between) 

9. He jumped-the water to rescue his sister, (in, into) 

10. The story is-a little girl and some Indians, (about, of) 

11. While my mother was- the store, I climbed upon the 

kitchen table, (at, to) 

12. She appeared to be rather heartless-the fact that she 

spurned the love that was so often offered her. (because of, 
due to) 

13. They took the money-me. (from, off, off of) 

14. One day we decided to go out-the woods for a rest, (in, 

into) 

15. He slipped on the raft but luckily did not fall-the wa¬ 

ter. (in, into) 

16. Yesterday I was-the circus, (at, to) 



PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS 


269 


Practice 2 

Write sentences in which you use correctly in, into, 
at, to, between, among, off, from, behind, because of, and 
due to. 


Overuse of Coordinate Conjunctions 

Common coordinate conjunctions, which connect 
words, phrases, and clauses of equal rank, are and, 
but, or, nor, so, yet, while, and though. The subordi¬ 
nate conjunctions, which connect subordinate clauses 
with independent clauses, are numerous. Some com¬ 
mon ones are when, while, until, till, where, than, that, 
if, although, though, because, as, as if, for, since, unless, 
lest, whereas, whether, before, how, why, and after. 

Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs: either — 
or, neither — nor, both — and, whether — or, not only — 
— but also. Notice that nor is the correlative of 
neither. 


Practice 3 

After reviewing the explanation and illustrations 
on page 248, improve these sentences. Get rid of some 
coordinate conjunctions by subordinating the less im¬ 
portant ideas. Ask yourself, “ Are these facts of equal 
importance? If not, which is the main idea? The 
subordinate idea? Does every conjunction used mean 
exactly what I want to say?” 

1. The road was repaired only a year ago, and now it is full of 
holes. 

2. My uncle is sixty years old, and he expects to retire from 
business next year. 

3. His scholarship, character, and service were investigated, and 
he was elected a member of the honor society. 

4. The dock was about six feet above the surface and very 
easy to climb out upon. 


270 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


5. Her relatives in England wanted her to return, so she went 
back to England. 

6. In the school there was a teacher by the name of Miss 
Gray, and she always wore a little hat and an old faded purple 
shawl. 

7. He stood on the platform before the convention, and he 
trembled and saw only a purple haze. 

8. The play was over, and I started to take a car for home but 
found that I had no money, and the only thing left for me was to 
walk. 

9. After my week at camp I was going home, and on the way I 
asked the baggage master at the station, and he told me that the 
next train was on the branch line. 

10. Andy Kirk was the seventh to start in the sled contest, and 
he glided down the hill with the speed of an express train. 

Practice 4 

Write about your favorite pastime, an interesting 
experiment, one minute too late, a narrow escape, how 
to be a good citizen of the school, or how the game was 
won (or lost). Get rid of childish sentences and some 
coordinate conjunctions by subordinating the less im¬ 
portant ideas. Place an asterisk (*) before every 
complex sentence. 

Confusion of Prepositions and Conjunctions 

Than, as, and unless are conjunctions. From, like, 
and without may be used as prepositions, not as con¬ 
junctions. Different from is always correct. 

Which are correct? 

1. When the alligator was pleased, he would wag his tail-a 

dog does, (as, like) 

A dog does is a clause with dog as its subject and 
does as its verb. Hence the conjunction as introduces 
it. The subordinate conjunctions introduce subordi¬ 
nate clauses; prepositions introduce prepositional 
phrases. 


PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS 


271 


2. It was different-I expected, (than, from what) 

Different from is right. The clause what I expected 
is the object of the preposition from. 

3. I will not go-you go also, (unless, without) 

The conjunction unless is needed to introduce the 
subordinate clause unless you go also. 

Practice 5 

In each sentence pick out the correct word or ex¬ 
pression, and give a reason for your choice: 

1. David drew his sword and protected himself-Alan had 

taught him. (as, like) 

2. My book is different-Miss Hallam’s. (from, than) 

3. The raccoon would follow its master about just-a dog 

does. • (as, like) 

. 4. She cannot come-some one accompanies her. (unless, 

without) 

5. A country school is much different-a city school, (from, 

than) 

6. The soldiers ordered Gunga Din about-they would a 

slave, (as, like) 

7. Learn to speak English-educated Americans do. (as, 

like) 

8. Sydney Carton’s character was different-that of Charles 

Darnay. (from, than) 

9. If you drove a Franklin car-I do, you would know more 

about air-cooled motors, (as, like) 

10. He doesn’t work-I do. (as, like) 

Practice 6 

In sentences of your own, use like, as, from, than, 
without, and unless correctly. 

Correct Conjunctions 

Use when for time and where for place. In defining 
a noun, use, after is, a noun, not when or where intro¬ 
ducing a clause. 


272 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


(Wrong) A conjunction is when a word connects words or 
groups of words. 

(Right) A conjunction is a word which connects words or 
groups of words. 

Which is right? 

- my mother was sick, I couldn’t do my homework, (be¬ 
cause, being that) 

Because is a conjunction; being is a participle — 
never a conjunction or part of it. 

Notice the use of that and because: 

1. I like this poem, because it pictures a bit of beautiful scenery. 

2. The reason I like this poem is that it pictures a bit of beauti¬ 
ful scenery. 

In sentence 1 because introduces the adverb clause 
modifying like. In 2 that introduces the noun clause 
used as the predicate nominative after the verb is. 

Practice 7 

Improve the following sentences. Show that any 
change you make in conjunctions is really an im¬ 
provement. 

1. One of the most important reasons why Lincoln’s speeches 
were considered so good was because he always spoke the truth. 

2. Being that she was secretary, she was not sent to the black¬ 
board. 

3. In The Call of the Wild an incident that aroused my sym¬ 
pathy was when the dog was taken captive. 

4. The speaker said that neither Army or Navy officers fully 
understand the power of the airplane. 

5. The reason I failed was because I had not studied. 

6. Webster had a large vocabulary, but his speeches are hard to 
understand because of his use of long words. 

7. Being it was a pleasant day, we started off early for the 
woods. 

8. The climax of the poem is when the Ancient Mariner blesses 
the water snakes. 

9. Being that he was the only music teacher in the village, I 
had to invite him. 


PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS 


273 


10. A third reason is because the plan is unfair. 

11. Arbitration is when a difference between parties is settled by 
persons chosen for that purpose. 

12. The event which brings all the characters together is when 
the mechanics act before the king. 

13. The reason he cannot come is because he sprained his ankle. 

14. Being that this book contains information that is invaluable 
to you, don’t put off buying it. 

15. An adverb is when a word modifies a verb, an adjective, or 
another adverb. 


Practice 8 

Which four sentences are incorrect? Correct them. 
Then practice using the right prepositions and con¬ 
junctions. 

1. He was at a party last night. 

2. I shall get it from John. 

3. I sit behind Harry. 

4. From a limb of the willow tree my brother fell in the water. 

5. Because of the lack of funds it is impossible to produce the 
play. 

6. Come to my house on Saturday. 

7. A very strange feeling comes over one as he dives into the 
water for the first time. 

8. He came to Shylock to borrow money from him. 

9. The piper with his flute lures the children of the town away 
to the mountains. 

10. Treasure Island is about a boy who was alert and brave. 

11. He did it like I did. 

12. Life in the mountains is very different from what it is here. 

13. His speech is different from that of the other pupils. 

14. You do not punctuate a letter as we were taught in school. 

15. Being that the car was very large, the six of us had enough 
room in it. 

16. One reason the Americans fought for independence was that 
England refused to give them their rights as Englishmen. 

17. Because the dog was large and fierce-looking, I had always 
been afraid of him. 

18. He is friendly to our project. 

19. The reason he stands low in his class is that he does not work 
hard enough. 


274 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


20. Place the tongue behind the lower teeth. 

21. We spent the summer in Los Angeles. 

22. He died of pneumonia. 

23. On the platform of the station we waited for him a half-hour. 

24. A sentence is when a group of words expresses a complete 
thought. 

25. I had a good time with my sister. 

Summary 

1. Into expresses motion from one place to another. 

2. Between commonly applies to only two objects. 

3. The two words because of are used as a preposi¬ 
tion. 

4. Coordinate conjunctions connect words, phrases, 
and clauses of equal rank. 

5. Subordinate conjunctions connect subordinate 
clauses with independent clauses. 

6. Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs. 

7. We should subordinate our less important ideas 
and use conjunctions which mean exactly what we 
wish to say. 

8. Than, as, and unless are conjunctions. From, 
like, and without may be used as prepositions, not as 
conjunctions. 

9. In defining a noun, use, after is, a noun, not 
when or where introducing a clause. 

Review Exercise 1 

Select the correct or preferred word or expression. 
Give a reason for each choice. 

1. I-my homework in an hour, (did, done) 

2. Every one has-ups and downs in life, (his, their) 

3. -the water look blue? (doesn’t, don’t) 

4. Each of the lads-represented Jefferson High on the 

gridiron for at least one season, (has, have) 

5. I hope I-have the pleasure of knowing you as one of my 

customers, (shall, will) 


PREPOSITIONS AND CONJUNCTIONS 275 

6. I know that it-some time ago that your letter arrived. 

(was, has been) 

7. I wanted to go aboard one of the steamers which-an¬ 

chored in the harbor, (was, were) 

8. Mother is-down this afternoon, (laying, lying) 

9. There-been two meetings of the Executive Committee 

during the summer, (has, have) 

10. We seated ourselves-in the living room, (comfortable, 

comfortably) 

11. Let the grass-there, (lie, lay) 

12. Besides-two there-another boy and a girl, (we, 

us) (was, were) 

13. If any one from a city had seen this sight,-wouldn’t have 

forgotten it soon, (he, he or she, they) 

14. At the present time she is enjoying a vacation-Massa¬ 

chusetts. (at, in) 

15* My father suggested an automobile ride to my mother and 
-. (I, me) 

16. We lifted the man into our automobile and-him on the 

back seat, (lay, laid) 

17. One evening in January there-about a hundred sleds on 

the hill, (was, were) 

18. Wherever one may go,-will hear Shakespeare’s plays 

spoken of. (he, one, you) 

19. One of his hands-behind his back, (is, are) 

20. The picture shows a man who has just - the English 

channel, (swam, swum) 

21. My companion and - were traveling across a desert in 

Arizona. (I, myself) 

22. The mule had stepped into a hole and-his rider, .(threw, 

thrown) 

23. My uncle took my brother and-for a ride on his yacht. 

(h me ) . , . 

24. The stranger said that he had-to the meeting for in¬ 

formation. (came, come) 

25. As Lake George-one hundred eight miles from Ausable 

Chasm, this was a late start, (is, was) 

Review Exercise 2 

Correct all errors in the following. Three are cor¬ 
rect. Give a reason for each change. 


276 GRAMMAR IN ACTION 

1. There ain’t no school Wednesday. 

2. Each of these men wishes he were sitting in the president’s 
chair. 

3. There’s two things about automobile riding I don’t like. 

4. He talks like he didn’t know his own mind. 

5. I haven’t got no ticket. 

6. Being the stripes of his socks run sideways, they correspond 
with his sweater. 

7. So many people lost their lives while trying to fly across the 
ocean that many newspapers objected to it. 

8. While fishing near Fire Island in Great South Bay, a storm 
came up. 

9. In Maryland we narrowly avoided the accident of which I 
spoke of in class yesterday. 

10. “Romeo” was very funny. Partly because of his amusing 
drawl and mostly because of the strange appearance he made. 

11. After I had made up my mind to be a lawyer, I have tried 
hard to improve my speech. 

12. The quicker you do this work the better it will be for you. 

13. “Well,” said father, “it’s a perfect evening for motoring, 
how would you like it if I got out the new car and took you for a 
ride?” 

14. One evening about six o’clock I walked down to the barn 
which was about half a city block from the house with my cousin. 

15. If father was not a skillful driver, we would have skidded 
over the precipice. 

16. I told the steward I did not belong on the boat and to please 
let me off. 

17. I know I can manage the football team as good, if not better, 
than it- has been run. 

18. A simile is a comparison of two unlike objects. 

19. The members of the club do not know what the entertain¬ 
ment committee has up their sleeves. 

20. He don’t care nothing about politics. 

21. When we reached the summit of the mountain, I told the 
guide that I thoroughly enjoyed the climb. 

22. The lovely forests were beautiful no more, instead they 
seemed to have an evil aspect. 

23. Of course, being dark and late at night, this fellow looked 
suspicious to us. 

24. After pushing and pulling for about ten minutes the car 
started off. 


APPENDIX 

Less Important Case Uses 

Some of the constructions reserved for the appendix 
are rare. Although others like the adverbial objective 
and the predicate objective (or adjunct accusative) 
are common, a knowledge of them does not help a 
person to correct his sentences, build better sentences, 
punctuate, or understand what he reads. 

Nominative 

The nominative of exclamation is a substantive 
used to show special emotion. 

O the scoundrel! 


Objective 

1. Verbs of asking take two direct objects, the name 
of the person and the name of the thing (called the 
secondary object). 

The teacher asked Gilbert a hard question. 

2. A verb which takes an indirect or secondary 
object in the active voice may in the passive voice 
retain a direct object (called the retained object). 

I was given a dollar. 

Gilbert was asked a hard question. 

3. A verb regularly intransitive may take a’ cognate 
object, an objective similar in meaning to the verb. 

He ran a race. 

4. The predicate objective (or adjunct accusative) 
completes the verb and refers to the direct object. 

We elected Willard secretary. (Inserting to be before the predicate 
objective does not change the sense.) 

277 


278 


GRAMMAR IN ACTION 


This remarkable coffee has made sleepless nights a thing of the 
past. 

They called him lazy. 

We painted the house white. 

In the last two examples adjectives complete the 
verbs and refer to the direct objects. 

5. The adverbial objective is a noun used like an 
adverb. 

The river is a mile wide. 

The stage level is one floor below that of the street. 

He is fifteen years old. 

Three times he tried and failed. 

Forty years ago every lady owned an autograph album. 

6. After verbs of making, telling, letting, wishing, 
expecting, thinking, knowing, commanding, believing, 

and the like, the infinitive has a subject. 

I told him to think the proposition over. 

We believed him to be qualified for the position. 

7. The predicate of an infinitive is used after a 
linking verb to refer to the subject of the infinitive. 

We believed it to be him. 

Because the subject of the infinitive it is in the ob¬ 
jective case, the predicate him is also in the objective 
case. The verb to be always has the same case after it 
as before it. 


INDEX 


A, an, 262 

Abbreviations, 52 

Absolute construction,. 132, 133 

Accusative case, 71 

Active voice, 92, 93 

Address, nominative of, 38, 49, 71; 

punctuation of, 53 
Addresses and dates, punctuation of, 
57, 58 

Adjectives, 15-18, 40, 41, 85, 87; 
predicate, 30, 44, 45; proper, 63; 
comparison of, 257, 258; use of 
comparative and superlative, 259, 
260; this, that, these, those, 261; 
a, an, the, 262,263; demonstrative 
adjective and personal pronoun, 
263; confusion with adverbs, 263, 
264 

Adjective clause, 154-170; relative 
pronoun in, 154, 155; meaning 
of, 155; how to recognize, 155, 
156; analysis or diagraming, 
157-160; case of pronouns, 160- 
162; agreement of verb and sub¬ 
ject, 162, 163; syntactical 

redundance, 163, 164; arrange¬ 
ment, 164; correct pronouns, 
164-166; punctuation, 166-169 
Adjunct accusative, 277 
Adverbs, 18-20, 41, 42, 151, 245; 
and prepositions, 22; comparison, 
258, 259; use of comparative and 
superlative, 259; double negative, 
260; confusion with adjectives, 
263, 264 

Adverb clause, 171-179, 245; defi¬ 
nition, 171; how to recognize, 
171, 172; analysis or diagraming, 
172-174; punctuation, 175-177; 
the upside-down sentence, 177, 
178 

Adverbial objective, 278 
After, 26 

Agreement of verb with subject, 
111-119, 162, 163, 198, 199; of 
pronoun with antecedent, 79-83, 


199-204; of predicate nominative 
with subject, 71 
Ain't, 110, 111 
All, 25 

Among, between, 267 
Analysis of sentences, 41, 42, 123, 
149, 157 

And, 115, 144, 145, 150, 236, 248, 
269 

Antecedent of pronoun, 76, 79-83, 
162, 163, 182, 199-204 
Anybody, 80, 116 
Any one, 80, 116, 200 
Apostrophe, 69, 224 
Appear, 30, 91 

Appositive, 36, 37, 48, 182, 250, 251; 

punctuation of, 53—55; case of, 71 
Arrangement, sentence, 83, 135, 

142-144, 164, 187, 202, 203, 220, 
245-248 
Article, 262 

As, 154, 165, 166, 176, 270 
As follows, 186, 222 
Asking, verbs of, with two objects, 
277 

At, to, 267 

Attribute. See Predicate adjective 
and Predicate nominative. 
Auxiliaries, 3, 15, 90, 109; in pro¬ 
gressive form, 109; in emphatic 
form, 109, 110 

Be, 91, 93, 121; predicate adjective 
after, 30, 264; conjugation, 95, 
96, 121 
Become, 30 
Behind, 267 

Better sentences, 245-257; some¬ 
thing beside adjectives before the 
subject, 245-248; complex sen¬ 
tences, 248-250; appositives, 250, 
251; series, 251, 252; participles, 
253, 254; interrogative, exclama¬ 
tory, and imperative sentences, 
254-256 

Between, among, 267 



280 


INDEX 


Bid, 128 

Blunder, comma, 236-244 
Books, titles of, 60, 65, 116 
Both, 26 

Building sentences, 11, 17, 18, 19, 22, 
27, 32, 34, 37, 52, 55, 74, 79, 81, 
88, 91, 93, 103, 105, 124, 129, 136, 
162, 166, 169, 179, 187, 188, 193, 
209, 210, 211, 215, 242, 244, 248, 
252, 254, 255, 269, 270, 271 
But, 144, 145, 150, 236, 260, 269 

Can, could, 194 
Can, may, 110 
Capitalization, 63-66 
Case, 71-73, 184, 185; nominative, 
71, 277; possessive or genitive, 
71, 72, 73, 127, 128; objective, 
71, 277, 278; accusative and da¬ 
tive, 71; of personal pronouns, 78, 
79; of interrogative pronouns, 
85, 86; of pronouns in complex 
sentences, 160-162, 184, 185 
Cheap, 264 

Classes of pronouns, 77 
Clauses, independent, 147, 154; 

subordinate, 154-230, 231, 234, 
235; adjective, 154-170; adverb, 
171-179; noun, 180-189; re¬ 
strictive and nonrestrictive, 166- 
169, 175-177 
Clear, 264 

Clearness, 60, 202, 203 
Cognate object, 277 
Collective nouns, 116 
Colloquial English, 76, 78, 85, 86, 
101, 107, 110, 267 
Colon, 186, 222 

Comma, direct address, 53; ap- 
positives, 53-55; series, 56, 57; 
addresses and dates, 57, 58; par¬ 
enthetical expressions, 58, 59; 

contrasting expressions, 59; yes 
and no, 60; clearness, 60; non¬ 
restrictive phrases, 131, 132; 

absolute construction, 132, 133; 
compound sentences, 150, 151; 
nonrestrictive clauses, 166-169, 
175-177; introductory adverb 
clauses, 175-177; direct quota¬ 
tions, 185-187; compound-com¬ 
plex and complex-complex sen¬ 
tences, 208, 209; salutation, 221 


Comma blunder, 236-244 
Common gender, 70 
Common nouns, 63 
Comparative degree, of adjectives, 
257, 258; of adverbs, 258, 259; 
use, 259, 260 

Comparison, of adjectives, 257-259; 

of adverbs, 258, 259 
Complements. See Object of verb, 
Predicate nominative, Predicate 
adjective, Predicate objective. 
Complete predicate, 7, 8, 9 
Complete subject, 5, 6, 7 
Complex sentences, 154-230, 248- 
250; adjective clauses, 154-170; 
adverb clauses, 171-179; noun 
clause, 180-189; correct verbs 
and pronouns, 190-204, com¬ 
pound-complex and complex- com¬ 
plex, 205-212 

Complex-complex sentences, 206- 
212 

Compositions, 136, 242, 244, 248, 
252, 254, 255, 270 

Compound-complex sentences, 205, 
206, 207-209 

Compound nouns, plural, 68; pos¬ 
sessive, 72 

Compound personal pronouns, 83, 
84 

Compound predicate, 9, 10, 147, 
148, 251 

Compound relative pronouns, 182 
Compound sentences, 251, 252; how 
to recognize, 147, 148; analyzed 
and diagramed, 148-150; punc¬ 
tuated, 150-152 

Compound subject, 9, 10, 115, 147, 
148 

Condition contrary to fact, 197, 198 
Conjugation, 95-98, 121, 122; pro¬ 
gressive, 109; emphatic, 109, 110 
Conjunction, 22-24, 41, 42, 269- 
274; coordinate, 269, 270; sub¬ 
ordinate, 156, 172, 213, 269; 

correlative, 24, 143, 144, 169; 
confusion with preposition, 270, 
271; correct, 271-274 
Conjunctive adverb. See Sub¬ 
ordinate conjunction. 

Contractions, 110, 111 
Contrasting expressions, punctua¬ 
tion of, 59 



INDEX 


281 


Coordinate conjunctions, 269, 270 
Correlative conjunctions, 24, 143, 
144, 269 
Could, can, 194 

Dangling phrases, 134-136 
Dare , 128 
Dash, 223, 224 

Dates and addresses, punctuation 
of, 57, 58 
Dative case, 71 
Declarative sentence, 51 
Declension, of personal pronouns, 
77, 83; of relative pronouns, 155; 
of interrogative pronouns, 85 
Deep, 264 

Definite article, 262 
Demonstrative pronoun, 86, 87; 

adjective, 263 

Dependent. See Subordinate. 
Diagram, of subject and predicate, 
40; of adjectives, 41; of adverb, 
41, 42; of prepositional phrase, 
43; of predicate nominative and 
predicate adjective, 44, 45; of ob¬ 
ject of verb, 46; of appositive, 
48; of word in direct address, 49; 
of other independent elements, 49, 
50; of participle, 122, 123; of ger¬ 
und, 126; of infinitive, 128, 129; 
of compound sentence, 148, 149; 
of adjective clause, 158, 159, 161, 
163; of adverb clause, 172, 173; of 
noun clause, 181, 182 
Different from, 271 
Direct address, 49, 71; punctuation 
of, 53 

Direct object. See Object. 

Direct quotation, 185-187, 202 
Do, did, in emphatic verb phrases, 
109; in questions, 110 
Doesn't, don't, 112 
Double comparison, 259 
Double negative, 260, 261 
Double subject, 139, 140 
Due to, 268 

Each, 80, 116 

Either, 80, 116 

Either . . . or, 115 

Elliptical sentences, 213-215, 232 

Emphatic verb phrases, 109, 110 

Enough, 26 


Every, everybody, every one, 80, 116 
Exclamation, nominative of, 277 
Exclamation point, 51, 52, 223 
Exclamatory sentence, 51, 254, 255 
Expletive, 8 

Fast, 264 
Feel, 30, 128, 264 
Feminine gender, 70, 71, 81 
For, 176 

Foreign plurals, 68 

From, 267 

From, than, 270 

Future perfect tense, 94 

Future tense, 93, 94. See Shall, will. 

Gender, 70, 71; of pronouns, 81, 82 
Genitive case, 71 

Gerund, 121, 122, 126-128, 134-136 

Giving, verbs of, 34 

Good use, 76 

Graduate, 141 

Grow, 30 

Habits, 73, 90 
Habitual action, 108 
Half-sentence, 1, 231-236 
Hard, 264 
Hardly, 260 
Hear, 128 
Help, 128 
Here, 261] 

High, 264 

III, 264 

Imperative mood, 94, 95 
Imperative sentence, 51, 254, 255 
In, into, 267 

Indefinite article. See A, an. 
Indefinite pronouns, 87, 88 
Independent clause, 147, 154, 177, 
178, 205, 206 

Independent elements, 49, 50 
Indicative mood, 94, 95 
Indirect object, 34, 47, 71 
Indirect question, 223 
Indirect quotation, 187, 196 
Infinitive, 121, 122, 128-130, 133- 
136, 145, 233, 245; subject of, 
278; predicate of, 278 
Infinitive clause, 278 
Inflection of nouns, 66-73; of pro¬ 
nouns, 77, 83, 85, 88, 155; of 


282 


INDEX 


adjectives and adverbs, 257-259; 
of verbs, 95-98, 121, 122 
Interjections, 25, 223 
Interrogation point, 51, 52, 185, 223 
Interrogative pronouns, 85, 86, 87 
Interrogative sentence, 51, 52, 254, 
255; do, did in, 110 
Into, in, 264 

Intransitive verbs, 90, 91, 92, 104- 
106 

Introductory clauses, 175-177 
Inverted order, 8 
Irregular verbs, 100, 101 

l s. See Be. 

l t, 82, 201, 202 

Kind, sort, 262 

Lay, lie, 103-106 
Let, 128, 278 
Letters, plural of, 69 
Lie, lay, 103-106 
Like, 26 
Like, as, 270 

Literary English, 76, 85, 86, 110, 
161, 200, 267 
Long, 264 
Look, 30, 264 
Loud, 264 

Main clause. See Independent 
clause. 

Make, 128, 278 
Many a, 80, 116 
Masculine gender, 70, 71, 82 
May, can, 110 
May, might, 194 

Misplaced modifiers, 135, 142-144, 
164, 220 

Misplaced correlative conjunctions, 
143, 144 

Mode. See Mood. 

Models, for giving syntax, 130, 167, 
168, 181, 205, 206; for analysis, 
41, 42, 123, 149, 157; for written 
work, 8, 10, 21, 27, 93, 178, 181, 
209, 210, 240 

Modifiers, 6, 16, 20, 112-114, 155, 
166-169, 175-177; misplaced, 

135, 142-144, 164, 220 
Mood, 94, 95; indicative, 94, 95; 
imperative, 94, 95; subjunctive, 
94, 95, 197, 198 


Natural order, 85, 160 
Need, 128 

Neither, 80; with nor, 115, 143 
No, yes, punctuation of, 60 
Nobody, no one, 80, 116 
Nominative, predicate, 31, 33, 44, 
45, 71, 180, 245; of address, 38; 
of exclamation, 277 
Nominative case, 71, 277 
Nonrestrictive modifiers, 131, 132, 
166-169, 175-177 

Nor, neither . . . nor, 115, 143, 150, 
236, 269 
Not, 59 

Nouns, 13, 63-75; capitalization of 
proper nouns, 63-66; common, 
63; formation of plural, 66-70; 
gender, 70, 71; case, 71-73; col¬ 
lective, 116 

Noun clauses, 180-189; how to 
recognize, 180, 181; analysis or 
diagraming, 181-184; case, 184, 
185; punctuation of quotations, 
185-187; word order in indirect 
quotation, 187; using, 187 
Number of nouns, 66-70; of pro¬ 
nouns, 79-81; of verbs, 111- 
119, 162, 163 

Object, of preposition, 20, 42-44, 
71, 182, 185; of verb, 32, 46, 47, 
71, 93, 104-106, 180, 181, 184, 
245; indirect, 34, 47, 71; second¬ 
ary, 277, retained, 277; cognate, 

277 

Objective, predicate, 277; adverbial, 

278 

Objective case, 71, 277, 278 
Objective complement. See Predi¬ 
cate objective. 

Of phrase, 71 
Off, 267 

Omissions, incorrect, 140, 141, 216- 
218 

One, 80, 116 
Only, 26, 142, 260 

Or, either ... or, 115, 150, 236, 
269 

Order, inverted, 8 
Order, natural, 85, 160 
Order, word, 83, 135, 142-144, 160, 
164, 187, 202, 203, 220, 245-248 
Ought, 110, 111 


INDEX 


283 


Parallel structure, 144, 145, 218, 
219 

Paraphrasing, 211, 212, 227, 228 
Parentheses, 224 

Parenthetical expressions, punctua¬ 
tion of, 58-59, 160, 223 
Participial phrase, 125, 131, 132, 144 
Participle, 110, 111, 121-125, 131- 
138, 141, 233, 245, 253, 254; 
dangling, 134-136 

Parts of speech, recognition of, 13- 
29; same word as different, 25-27 
Passive voice, 92, 93 
Past participle, 110, 111 
Past perfect tense, 94, 191, 192 
Past tense, 93, 94, 190, 191 
Period, after declarative or impera¬ 
tive sentence, 51, 52, 236; after 
abbreviation, 52 
Person, 77, 79-81, 162, 163 
Person , a, 80, 116, 200 
Personal pronouns, 77-79, 87, 263; 
inflection, 77; gender and number, 
79-82; case, 78, 79; compound, 
83, 84 

Phrases, 231; verb, 15, 109, 110, 
111; prepositional, 21, 42-44, 

112—114, 144, 245; participial, 
125, 131, 132, 144; dangling, 

134-136 
Please , 128 

Plural, of nouns, 66-70; of com¬ 
pound nouns, 68; of letters, signs, 
etc., 69; of foreign names, 68; of 
proper names and titles, 67, 69; 
of possessive, 72; of personal 
pronouns, 77; of relative pro¬ 
nouns, 155; of verbs, 111-119 
Positive degree, 257-259 
Possessive case, of nouns, 71-73; 
how to form, 71, 72; use, 71, 127, 
128; of personal pronouns, 77; 
of indefinite pronouns, 88; of 
relative pronouns, 155; of inter¬ 
rogative pronouns, 85 
Prayer, subjunctive, 197, 198 
Predicate, 40; simple, 2, 3; auxil¬ 
iaries, 3, 4; complete, 7, 8, 9; 
compound, 9, 10, 147, 148, 251; 
of infinitive, 278 
Predicate adjective, 30, 44, 45 
Predicate nominative, 31, 33, 44, 
45, 71, 180, 245 


Predicate objective, 277 
Preposition, 20-22, 42-44, 139, 140, 
267-274; and adverb, 22; object 
of, 71; correct, 267-269; phrase 
used as, 148, 185; confusion with 
conjunction, 270, 271 
Prepositional phrases, 21, 42-44, 
112-114, 144, 245 
Present perfect tense, 93, 94, 190 
Present tense, 93, 94, 193 
Principal clause. See Independent 
clause. 

Principal parts of verbs, 95, 100, 
101, 103, 104 

Progressive verb phrases, 109 
Pronouns, 14, 76-89, 199-204; and 
adjectives, f8; classes of, 77; 
personal, 77-79; case of, 78, 79, 
160-162; agreement with ante¬ 
cedent, 79-83, 199-204; gender of, 
81, 82; it and they , 82, 83, 201, 
202; word order, 83; compound 
personal, 83, 84; interrogative, 
85, 86; relative, 86, 154, 155, 
164-166; demonstrative, 86; in¬ 
definite, 87; compound relative, 
182 

Proper nouns, 63-66 
Punctuation, 221-227; of simple 
sentences, 51-62, 131, 132, 133; 
of compound sentences, 150-152; 
of adjective clauses, 166-169; of 
adverb clauses, 175-177; of quo¬ 
tations, 185-187; of compound- 
complex and complex-complex 
sentences, 208, 209 

Question mark, 51, 52, 185 
Questions, 110; inverted order in, 
8; punctuation of, 51, 52, 223; 
shall, will, should, would, 107; 
may, 110; answers to, 213 
Quick, 264 

Quotation, 185-187, 202; indirect, 
196 

Quotation marks, 60, 61, 185-187 

Raise, rise, 103-106 
Reading, silent, 211, 212, 227, 228 
Recognition, of the parts of speech, 
13-29; of compound sentences, 
147, 148; of adjective clauses, 
155; of adverb clauses, 171, 172; 


284 


INDEX 


of noun clauses, 180, 181; of in¬ 
direct object, 34; of object of 
verb, 32 

Redundance, syntactical, 139, 140, 
163, 203, 215 

Relative pronouns, 86, 87, 154, 

155 

Repetition, 202, 214 
Restrictive modifiers, 131, 132, 

166-169, 175-177 
Retained object, 277 
Right, 264 
Rise, raise, 103-106 

Same ... as, 154, 165, 166 
Scarcely, 260 
Secondary object, 277 
See, 128 

Seem, 30, 91, 264 

Semicolon, 150, 151, 186, 208, 222, 
236, 237 

Sentence, simple, 1-146; parts of, 
30-39; analysis and diagram¬ 
ing, 40-50; punctuation, 51-62; 
declarative, 51; interrogative, 
51, 254, 255; imperative, 51, 254, 
255; exclamatory, 51, 254, 255; 
compound, 147-153; complex, 
154-230; compound-complex and 
complex-complex, 205-212; better, 
245-256 

Sentence sense, 1, 231-244; phrase, 
subordinate clause, and sentence, 
231; half-sentence, 232-236; 
comma blunder, 236-244 
Series, 56, 57, 251, 252 
Set, sit, 103-106 
Shall, will, 106, 107, 194, 196 
Shift, careless tense, 194 
Should, would, 108, 194, 196 
Signs, plural of, 69 
Silent reading, 211, 212, 227, 228 
Simple predicate, 2, 3 
Simple subject, 4, 5 
Simple sentence, 1-139, 147; parts 
of, 30-39; analysis and diagram¬ 
ing of, 40-50; punctuation of, 
51-62 
Since, 176 

Singular, 66, 111-119; possessive, 
72 

Sit, set, 103-106 
Slow, 264 


Smell, 30, 264 
So, 150, 236, 248, 269 
Somebody, some one, 80, 116 
Sort, kind, 262 
Sound, 30, 264 

Subject, 2, 40, 93, 180; simple, 4, 
5; complete, 5, 6, 7; understood, 
5; compound, 9, 10, 115, 147, 148; 
case, 71; agreement with verb, 
111-119, 162, 163, 198, 199; 

double, 139, 140; omitted, 213- 
215, 216-218; something beside 
adjectives before, 245-248; of 
infinitive, 278 

Subjunctive mood, 94, 95, 197, 198 
Subordinate clauses, 154-230, 231, 
234, 235 

Subordinate conjunction, 156, 172, 
213, 269 

Such as, 154, 165, 166 
Summary, 11, 28, 39, 61, 74, 88, 119, 
138, 145, 152, 170, 179, 188, 204, 
212, 229, 244, 256, 266, 274 
Superlative degree, 257-260 
Synopsis, 98, 99 

Syntactical redundance, 139, 140, 
163, 203, 215 

Syntax, 130, 167, 168, 181, 205, 206 


Taste, 30, 264 
Telling, verbs of, 278 
Tense, 93, 94, 190-195; of infinitive 
and participle, 133, 134 
Than, from, 270 

That, 25, 86, 154, 155, 165, 166, 183, 
261 

The, 262 

There, expletive, 8 
They, 82, 201, 202 
This, these, 86, 186, 222, 261 
Though, 150, 236, 269 
Thus, 186, 222 

Titles of books, plays, etc., 60, 65, 
116 

To, at, 267 
To, omitted, 128 

Transitive verbs, 90, 91, 104-106; 
passive of, 92, 93 

Unless, without, 270, 271 
Upside-down sentence, 177, 178 
Use, good, 76 


INDEX 


285 


Verbs, 15, 40, 90-120, 190-199; 
object of, 32, 46, 47, 71, 245; 
indirect object of, 47; transitive 
and intransitive, 90, 91; active 
and passive, 92, 93; tense, 93, 
94, 190-195; mood, 94, 95; uses 
of subjunctive, 197, 198; conju¬ 
gation and synopsis, 95-99, 121, 
122; principal parts of, 100-103; 
sit, set, lie, lay, rise, raise, 103- 
108; shall, will, should, would, 
106-109, 196; verb phrases, 109; 
may, can, 110; ain't and other 
errors, 110, 111; agreement of 
verb and subject, 111-119, 162, 
163, 198, 199; omitted, 213-215, 
216-218, 232; before subject, 245 
Verb phrase, 15, 109, 110, 111 
Voice, 92, 93 
Volition, 107, 197, 198 


Well, 264 

What, as different parts of speech, 
26; interrogative pronoun, 85; 
relative pronoun, 154, 155, 165, 
166 

When, 271, 272 
Where, 271, 272 
Which, 85, 154, 155, 165, 166 
While, 150, 236, 269 
Who, 85, 154, 155, 165, 166 
Will, shall, 106, 107, 194, 196 
Wish, subjunctive in, 197, 198 
Without, unless, 270, 271 
Word order, 83, 135, 142-144, 160, 
164, 187, 202, 203, 220, 245-248 
Would, should, 108, 194, 196 
Wrong, 264 

Yes, no, punctuation of, 60 
Yet, 150, 236, 269 





































. 









: ' 



















































































































































